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Written by JORDAN BRANDES
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Friday, 12 October 2007 |
A period piece is an unlikely candidate for a sequel. The first Elizabeth after all was no Pirates of the Caribbean which easily lent itself to many more films. And yet the new Elizabeth film works beautifully and on many levels.
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"Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
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 Entertainment
 Art
Starring: Clive Owen, Cate Blanchett, Geoffery Rush
Directed by Shekhar Kapur
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One of the biggest problems that most period pieces often fall into, especially ones dealing with royalty is that they become too pretentious. Very often the director and the actors forget that these were once real people they are portraying and get lost in the theatrics. Not so with The Golden Age. This film is so raw and real that you often forget that you’re watching Queen Elizabeth or Mary-Queen of Scots in battle.
Without a doubt the biggest attraction of this film is Cate Blanchett who better win an Oscar for this film. Unlike Kirsten Dunst in Marie Antoinette Blanchett manages to transcend the role and make Queen Elizabeth intimately human. As the Virgin Queen historically Queen Elizabeth was seen as an anomaly throughout the world. She had no heir and very rarely sought male companionship. It was her role as a strong female ruler that set her apart and Blanchett realizes that, she embraces it.
The same can be said for her quasi-romantic counterpart Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen). Upon first meeting the sexual tension is immediate Raleigh is a rough and rugged explorer who has just returned from the New World bearing gifts for the Queen. His ability to be blunt and honest captures the eye of the feminist Queen and they begin a sort of back door courtship. The results are surprising.
The film covers the time leading up to the invasion of the Spanish Armada. Though the invasion switches off between subplot and main story the Spanish represent a possible end for England and the empire of Elizabeth. The director’s portrayal of some of the Spanish takes a very different turn, making a few of them quite literally out of their mind. It seems he was trying to make the classic villain, and the Spanish rebels come of as something out of Die Hard.
Like the first one this film has tremendous potential of becoming a best picture nominee. Expertly made, beautifully acted and well careful not to be over the top the film sets a new standard for period pieces. The beauty of this film is in the little details as much as the epic ones. The nervousness and tension felt as one character passes another in the corridor feels real, it does not have to be openly said but shows in their actions and faces. Every character in this film is given room enough to breathe and become far more then a one-dimensional set piece.
Whether or not this will make a box office smash is undetermined. It is hard to gauge American audiences though they were easily swooned by the first film. Such cinematic excellence should not be left forgotten. |
Oscar worthy?!
Written by Guest on 2007-10-16 11:21:30
Wow... According to all the buzz this movie was mediocore at best. I'd like to try whatever you're smokin. |
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