She ruled as Elizabeth the First, yet somehow Cate came in second (or worse) at Oscar time!

Rating: Null/10 (31 January 2008)

Things get off to quite a vicious and visceral start in this flavorful take on the early life of Queen Elizabeth I as three protestants are roughly shorn and then burned at the stake. It's a fairly unforgettable sequence that grabs the attention and, for the most part, the film continues to do so from then on, though nothing quite tops the opening for sheer savagery. Blanchett portrays the title future monarch who is in exile due to her claim to the British throne, currently occupied by her older half-sister Burke. When her time comes to ascend, she is faced with powerful enemies such as Eccleston and powerful allies such as Rush while the royal court is in a constant state of hubbub over her and her political decisions. One pressure she is under involves marrying and producing an heir, something she would like to do with her childhood love Fiennes, but which she can't due to his status. French nobleman Cassel is offered to her as an option, but proves unacceptable as well. Meanwhile, she is battling Scotland, which is under the rule of Ardant, yet another enemy. Blanchett manages to juggle the affairs of state and the affairs of the heart while assassins wait around every other corner. As most viewers know, she manages to succeed in most areas and proceeds to a long and mostly illustrious reign. Blanchett is striking and exceptional in this, one of her early film roles. She balances a whole range of emotions for a legendary personage without ever heading over the top. Rush lends perfect support. The two had worked together before in theatre and enjoyed a built-in rapport. Eccleston is appropriately exasperated and vengeful while Fiennes is endearingly loving and protective. Attenborough, frequently a hammy actor, displays some of that quality here, but not fatally so. Ardant, Cassel and Burke provide the right amount of zest in their scenes. Gielgud appears very briefly as an outraged Pope and Craig has an early role as one his brutal henchmen. The story plays fast and loose with some historical facts, though its visual attributes cannot be denied, nor can the star-making performance of its leading actress. In an ironic twist, both Rush and Fiennes starred in another 1998 film that had appearances from Elizabeth I (played by Dame Judi Dench)  "Shakespeare in Love". The leading lady of that film, Gwyneth Paltrow, was given the Oscar over Blanchett in a preposterous move by the Academy (thus also missing the chance to reward two actresses in two different films who were playing the same person as Dench won for Best Supporting Actress that year.) It's a vivid, captivating take on a fascinating subject though it isn't always easy for non-historians to figure out exactly what is taking place at any given moment. Fortunately, the strong performances and stylish direction keep the momentum going and some title cards at the beginning help set the stage for what comes after. Almost a decade later, Blanchett returned to the role for a sequel that details the events occurring in Elizabeth's reign after this film.