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Amazingly, I found "Elizabeth" greatly entertaining. Not being a history buff, I'd previously walked out of the based-on-historical-fact film "Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown" - and I expected "Elizabeth" to be just as boring. "Elizabeth", however, grabbed my attention, and it certainly didn't seem like a three-hour movie.
Cate Blanchett stars as Elizabeth, the young Protestant girl who succeeded her Catholic half-sister, Queen Mary to the throne of England. After becoming Queen, Elizabeth inherited a weak kingdom with little money and a small army. Many disapproved of her religion and her plans to create a Church of England. Advisors indicated that her best bet would be to marry someone from another kingdom, (France or Spain were suggested) although she is deeply in love with an Englishman named Lord Robert. (She has quite a few disagreements with him as the story develops.)
The acting is marvelous in "Elizabeth", although many of the characters seem to be back-stabbers. (Although Elizabeth's life is in danger many times, you'll never guess who attempted to have Elizabeth murdered near the end of the movie.) Also, an element of humor is added by one of Elizabeth's suitors, (a prince from Spain) who turns out to be a fifteenth century drag queen (or whatever they called them back then).
Now that I think about it, I might have paid a lot more attention to history class if it was presented in such a captivating manner as this film. "Elizabeth" is anything but boring!
My rating: 3 stars
Rating: R (for violence and sexuality) |
