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Moviola > Films > Elizabeth : The Golden Age
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (12A) 114 mins"Woman. Warrior. Queen."
Reprising the roles they originated in Elizabeth, Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush return for a gripping historical thriller laced with treachery and romance. Joining them is Clive Owen as Sir Walter Raleigh, a dashing seafarer and newfound temptation for Elizabeth. Keenly aware of the changing religious and political tides of late 16th century Europe, Elizabeth finds her rule openly challenged by the Spanish king Philip II (Jordi Molla) who is determined to restore England to catholicism with the help of his powerful army and sea-dominating armada . Preparing to go to war to defend her empire, Elizabeth struggles to balance ancient royal duties with an unexpected vulnerability in her feelings for Raleigh. Unable and unwilling to pursue her love, she encourages her favourite lady-in-waiting Bess (Abbie Cornish) to befriend Raleigh to keep him near. But this strategy forces Elizabeth to observe their growing intimacy. As she charts her course abroad, her trusted advisor Sir Francis Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush) uncovers an assassination plot that could topple the throne, and which implicates Elizabeth's own cousin Mary Stuart (Samantha Morton). Elizabeth: The Golden Age tells the thrilling tale of an era - the story of one woman's crusade to control love, crush enemies and secure her position as a beloved icon of the Western world.
"The story may be set in the 16th Century, but its themes of political unrest, struggle for power and personal satisfaction are timeless and universal. It may have been a gamble for director Shekhar Kapur to pick up the threads of his acclaimed film Elizabeth from nine years earlier but the result is overtly satisfying as the many subtleties of the mature Queen's emotional journey are realized. It's a rousing and engaging tale filled with drama and conflict and the image of Blanchett's Elizabeth is indelible." Urban Cinefile "The final battle scenes are breathtaking in their grandeur. It's a wonderfully seductive, grandiose, unashamedly operatic portrayal of Queen Elizabeth's finest hour, and it's even more rousing because of the chinks already exposed in her armour. Kapur plays up every high note with arresting imagery that wouldn't be out of place in a 16th century royal portrait. Throw away the history books and behold the majesty." BBC movies
Showing: 04-Apr Chilbolton 05-Apr Ropley 12-Apr Goodworth Clatford 14-Apr Shrewton 17-Apr Bothenhampton 23-Apr Codford St Peter 24-Apr Croscombe 25-Apr Fordingbridge Last modified: 17-Apr-2008 |
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