Great central performance

Rating: 7/10 (18 December 2003)

Cate Blanchett is fantastic as the Queen, which is necessary for this film to work at all; a star vehicle for someone who was not, at the time, a star. The movie is fine, but has some annoying moments; a few too many of the old, 1960's vintage actor-shot-from-below-looking-into-the-distance-framed-by-a-cloudless-sky-backed-by-swelling-heroic-music for my taste, and the messages exchanged by a nod or a wink at several scenes in the movie seem out of place.
But this movie will stand or fall on its central performance, and that central performance is great. Also worthy of notice is Geoffrey Rush as the deep revolving Walsingham.