Costume drama or political thriller? I don't know.

Rating: 6/10 (9 June 1999)

One part of this movie is really good while another part of it is rather boring and uninteresting.
It looks like a typical British costume drama and as such it is very beautiful and equally boring. It seems as if the director was afraid to make a movie that might actually be exciting all the way through.
During the parts of the movie where focus is on the political situation in Britain during Elizabeth's reign it gains a lot and becomes one of the best historical dramas of the nineties. During these sequences the film gains strength and tells us that political back stabbing is not a modern tool.
The film's real gem is Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth. Every time she enters the screen she owns it. Her acting is reason enough to see the film. And she is not the only one. Christopher Eccleston and Geoffrey Rush have supporting roles which bring something to the movie. Eccleston's character is a primary player in the political part of the movie. That is why I like it so much. Because the political battle is what makes this film interesting.