Somewhat over-melodramatic

Rating: Null/10 (13 October 2007)

Perhaps 9-years-later sequels are becoming a fashion: after "Before sunset", we now have "Elizabeth: the golden age". Those who remember "Elizabeth" (1998) will justifiably have expectations but logic suggests that those expectations should be modest. The early years of Elizabeth I saw her facing crisis after crisis, culminating in the climatic conclusion when, in Godfather-style-montages, we see her eliminate all her dangerous enemies. What follows, "the golden age", is by definition less stormy. Even when the ride could be at certain times a little bumpy, she was at all times in complete control. The tension of dramatic conflict is much reduced.
Whether one enjoys this sequel depends very much on how much ones cares about accuracy of historical facts. I can believe some of the audience going from being irritated, annoyed to furious as the movie progresses. But I'll assume that this represents only a minority of the audience. Most are here to see Cate Blanchett and couldn't care less about historical accuracy.
How do the movie makers keep the audiences' interest in this period of relative stability of Elizabeth I's life and reign? They start slowly, by brief glimpses of the plot lines that will be developed: the Spanish girl-Queen who will later send the Spanish Amarda to invade England, Mary Stewart whose conflict with Elizabeth is well known, Elizabeth Throckmorton the closest lady-in-waiting who will later get entangled in a love triangle involving the Queen.
The introduction of the key player Sir Walter Raleigh is made, however, in a form of an amusing interlude before the movie gets into the serious business of developing the plot lines. Still a pirate and not yet a nobleman, Raleigh brings back from the New World a parade of exotic curios, including tobacco.
Then comes yet another minor interlude, with Sir Francis Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush), a major character last time but now reduced to a minor role with precious little to do, wandering around almost comically, continuing to play the futile role of the Queen's matchmaker. Then finally, it's down to the business of the 3 main plots.
The very well known story of Mary, Queen of Scots has been played with Mary or Elizabeth as the centre of attention in different movies and plays. "Mary, Queen of Scots" (1972) had Vanessa Redgrave in the title role. As well, each version will dramatize (some will say fictionalize) the conflict in different ways. A play I recently watched, "Mary Stuart", by 18th century German playwright Friedrich Schiller, portrays Elizabeth as quite ruthless in ordering Mary's execution. This movie, predictably, places it sympathy on Elizabeth, portraying her as suffering great agony in reluctantly ordering Mary's execution, a just sentence on a murder Mary plotted. The highlight of the aforementioned play is a climatic confrontation between the two women, which the movie does not show at all. Mary is played by Samantha Morton, and anyone who has seen "In America" (2002) and "The libertine" (2004) knows how good she is. Unfortunately, she has only a few scenes here, in a movie which understandably is all Cate Blanchett's show.
The climatic sea battle ending in crushing of the mighty Spanish Amarda is dealt with in a rather low-key fashion, which is not such a bad thing. Although it is needed as a constantly lurking climax, this movie is not really about a battle, but about a woman. I, for one, am happy to see that we are spared the pseudo grandiose of CGI "spectaculars". The battle is depicted mostly at close range, at the individual actor level, with an emphasis that is just about right.
My summary line is with reference to the love triangle between Elizabeth, Walter Raleigh and another Elizabeth, the pretty young lady-in-waiting. While I understand that movies often need such things, the treatment is a little too melodramatic for my taste. Granted that Clive Owen is sufficiently dashing and Australian actress Abbie Cornish quite charming, Blanchett's ranting and raving is not becoming of her regal persona that we see in most of the rest of the movie. I guess this was a few hundred years ago and they can do pretty well anything they like with the script. Just imaging them doing something like that with Helen Mirren in "The Queen" (2006)!
Two final words on this movie: Cate Blanchett.