Enjoy All The Visual Treats & Acting, And Don't Worry About The Rest

Rating: 9/10 (9 February 2008)

If you're thinking about viewing this film, don't let all the naysayers discourage you. If you enjoy great acting performances, stunning direction and cinematography and more (sets, costumes, etc.) you should be entertained for most of the two hours. The story was pretty interesting, too. I was amazed to look at the user-comments afterward and see all the complaints, nitpicking nonsense like "the music is intrusive." The score, like the production values, is just fine.
It's tough to beat a foursome like Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen and Samantha Morton for good acting but - for me, just like another DVD released this week ("The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford"), the star of the film was the photographer. In this case it is Remi Adefarasin. Between his camera-work, the direction of Shekhar Kapur, and the production design by Guy Dyas, this film is a series of pure visual treats.
I'm not one who usually pays much attention to costuming but Queen Elizabeth's attire in this movie is spectacular. A nod to the great costume design efforts of Alexandra Byrne.
Some people complain Elizabeth isn't portrayed as a strong-enough woman in this movie. I'll use a British response for that: "rubbish." Not only is she strong, she is shown as human - not some cold-blooded machine, but as someone with feelings like the rest of us. All her emotions - and I mean all - are on display along with inspiring leadership of her country, with the latter's welfare her number one priority.
Rush is "Sir Francis Walsingham" and Morton plays "Mary, Queen of Scots." Their roles were smaller than I would like to have seen but both are riveting each time they are on screen, especially Morton. Owen, as the masculine and Errol Flynn-like "Sir Walter Raleigh," also is fun to watch. Abbie Cornish provided eye candy as "Bess Thorckmorton."
On the negative side, I agree with the criticism that the filmmakers concentrated so heavily on the great costumes, sets and visuals, they didn't give the characters an equal representation. Also, the ending battle scenes were rushed and it wasn't really shown clearly how the Armada was defeated.
If I was Roman Catholic (I am not), I might be a little offended at this film. The Catholics, as shown here - the ones from King Philip II of Spain of the 1500s - are shown as ridiculously bloodthirsty and hypocritical to their faith. The writers make sure to show anyone with a cross, rosary beads or any other Christian symbol as a evil, despicable person. It was way overdone. On the Protestant side, it wasn't flattering, speaking as an evangelical, seeing "The Protestant Queen" shown as a true believer of some astrologer/ soothsayer (which is anti-Biblical) but was never seen consulting any minister (cleric). For advice, Christians seek God and/or His written word and pastors, not "the stars." That is so Hollywood to give that such revered credence.
However, overall, being someone enamored with cinematography, I had few complaints with this movie and felt I received my money's worth of entertainment. In fact, it inspires me to check out the 1999 film of the "Elizabeth" which, somehow, I never saw. I assume that will be high quality, as well.