I am Myself

Rating: 6/10 (20 October 2007)

Greetings again from the darkness. Not in the class of 1998's first segment, Cate Blanchett is still a wonder as the virgin Queen. Here she displays much more vulnerability and emotion than in the first, but her weaknesses are a bit too heavy handed. Director Shekhar Kapur is back at the helm, though for some reason he has only made one other film (Four Feathers) since the 1998 Elizabeth.
Clive Owen plays swashbuckling Sir Walter Raleigh who charms his way into the Queen's inner circle and more than charms Abbie Cornish (A Good Year), the Queen's personal favorite of her court. Owen adds a bit a cartoonish feel to the film and is definitely shown to be the hero of the holy war. Geoffrey Rush is back as Elizabeth's adviser and he is given a sub-plot with his brother so that he doesn't spend the entire two hours just bowing to Blanchett. The whole Mary Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton) story is presented very awkwardly, but the beheading was actually beautifully filmed. Adding to the cartoonish feel was the manner in which Jordi Molla portrays King Philip II of Spain ... very odd.
This one manages to cling to epic status through amazing sets, incredibly wonderful wardrobe and a terrific score. Even though it isn't the masterpiece of the first segment, it is still worth seeing and will be involved in Oscar talk.