Disappointing.

Rating: Null/10 (4 August 1999)

Whenever a movie is hyped about, I do my best not to expect very much when I see it, so perhaps I'll go along with the hubbub without a problem. But unfortunately, that didn't work (and seeing The English Patient was a prime example of that). Despite being well done, "Elizabeth R" is a melodramatic soap opera which results to an overraught travesty.
You don't need to be a history buff to see the inaccurancies: What's with the miniature subplot involving transvestism? How could someone be poisoned by wearing a dress? Why did they show cheap editing of Blanchet looking in the mirror and talking to herself? I don't want to bore you with all the detail, because otherwise I'll give the movie away, but aside from all the colorful costumes, campy performances and severed heads, this movie had nothing to offer, except a good performance by Kate Blanchet portraying Elizabeth I.
Luckily this only got mixed reviews, compared to hype on other over-produced "period" dramas.