Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Review by Sean Lynch

To be honest, I never got around to seeing the Oscar winning film, Elizabeth, which launched the Hollywood careers of Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush almost ten years ago. And, I still have no real plans to - for whatever reason, I seem to have been born with a natural hatred for period pieces.

So to say that my excitement level leading up to the screening of Elizabeth : The Golden Age wasn't exactly bubbling over...is somewhat of an understatement.

To be honest, the concept of a sequel to an Oscar winning indie flick is a strange one. In general, the only real need for sequels is, plain and simply, a way to make a bit of extra cash. And to be honest, I never quite saw Elizabeth (or it's usually credible cast) as the sort of cash cow that warrants a sequel ten years on (heck, even Bad Boys II was pushing it with a delayed money making follow up). As for the actual film itself - well, it's indeed an odd mix of credibility and Jerry-Bruckheimer-Hollywood.

The Golden Age finds Queen Elizabeth I (Blanchett) facing bloodlust, holy war, unsuspecting love and family betrayal. With the world in a state of ever changing religious views in the late 16th century, Elizabeth soon finds her rule openly challenged by the Spanish King Philip II (and his sea-dominating armada) who is prepared to restore England to Catholicism at any cost. Add to this, Elizabeth's crush on 'Pirate' Raleigh (played by Clive "How The Hell Was I Not Cast As James Bond" Owen) who is secretly "boarding" one of Elizabeth's closets entourage members (played by ever-so-cute Aussie, Abbie Cornish).

Things soon get hectic, with backstabbing aplenty - and the English Empire on the verge of defeat for the first time in their long history.

I'm still trying to work out whether this is an independent film masquerading as an epic, or vice versa. Because about halfway in, Golden Age begins to merge into an odd mix somewhere between Pirates of the Caribbean and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Which is by no means a bad thing - but you get the sense that the sort of audience that are willing to return to the Elizabeth franchise aren't exactly interested in swashbuckling as much as they are in...well...substance.

Misgivings aside, there is plenty to like about Elizabeth's return to the big screen. The costumes are simply outstanding, and come Oscar time, if costume designer Alexandra Byrne is looked over for a gong - then there's something seriously wrong with the voting system. Every detail is elegant and downright awe inspiring (and this from someone who is quite happy with owning five t shirts a year and having them on rotation).

The cast, well most of them (Clive Owen seems totally misplaced - like he's from a bad BBC series from the 1970s), deliver as well. The Aussie trio of Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush and Abbie Cornish is one of the films strongest elements. Blanchett is just superb, bringing such weight, empathy and realism to the role of the head strong Queen of England. It's one of the best performances in a period piece I've seen in some time - never giving into the Shakespearian voiced stereotypes that often make period pieces look like cheap pantomimes. Again, a piece of work which the Academy should take a good hard look at, because this is acting at it's finest.

By no means perfect, but there is more than enough action for the MTV crowd - and a good dose of well crafted depth for those who love the craft of film making.

3 out of 5

Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Australian release: 15TH November, 2007
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen, Jordi Molla
Director: Shekhar Kapur
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