Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Elizabeth: The Golden Age
2007
***½
Director: Shekhar Kapur
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen, Rhys Ifans, Jordi Mollà, Abbie Cornish, Samantha Morton, Tom Hollander

In 1585, Philip II, the King of Roman Catholic Spain, plans to invade England and overthrow the ungodly Queen Elizabeth I. In the meanwhile, the Virgin Queen is pressured to marry one of her suitors, but she is enamoured by the rugged charm of explorer Walter Raleigh. To sex up the royal affairs of the era, the sequel to Elizabeth takes great liberties with historical accuracy and it cranks up the melodrama to bring us an anachronistic but very enjoyable costume piece. The sets and the Academy Award winning costumes are incredible, and every single shot looks like a picture postcard. The performances are not terrible either.