Elizabeth (1998)

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The ascension to the throne of England of Queen Elizabeth I and the aftermath. Shows the against-the-odds struggles she had to endure to obtain the throne and her almost-as-difficult defence of it.Superb. Reasonably accurate, historically, and very interesting. Could easily have ended as a dry docudrama but director Shekhar Kapur ensures the film is engaging, intriguing and edifying. Allied with this is a superb performance from Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth, a performance that earned her her first Oscar nomination. Throw in some fantastic sets and costumes and this is a lavish, entertaining and edifying drama.

They are both great films that take so much liberty with the truth that I doubt the real people upon which they are based would recognize their own lives! We'll never know about Queen Elizabeth I who died 400 years before the motion picture was born, but George M. Cohen, whose life is on display in Yankee Doodle Dandy, did screen the picture before release and his comment was - "Great film, who is it about?". But I digress.Cate Blanchett is every inch a queen in this film. Elizabeth surely was in danger during her half sister Mary's rule who wasn't called "Bloody Mary" for nothing. Robert Dudley was the love of Elizabeth's life, and she likely didn't marry for good reason, especially if you look at what happened to her cousin Mary Queen of Scots, who lost her throne by becoming vulnerable through affairs and marriages of the heart. Dudley's first wife did die conveniently in 1560, leaving him free to marry Elizabeth if she had so wanted. But tongues wagged about the suspicious manner of Robert's first wife's death, as she died by falling down a flight of stairs. Dudley did remain a loyal friend to Elizabeth throughout the rest of his life, angering the queen when he married a second time in secret after waiting twenty years for Elizabeth. But life must go on right? But this last paragraph is largely the truth, now for the movie. In this film Robert Dudley is still first in Elizabeth's heart, and he is shown to be a two faced horndog unworthy of that affection. Her biggest threat is shown to be Mary of Guise, French born and Catholic ruler of Scotland who plays this role completely over the top, but is delightful nonetheless. She is taken down in a James Bond style operation by Walsingham, trusted adviser and head of a network of international spies who is not against getting his hands dirty himself. Walsingham was indeed a trusted adviser, although years later than shown, and Geoffrey Rush plays this part to perfection, although the actual Walsingham was not nearly as interesting as the character shown here. In fact Walsingham was only a year older than Elizabeth, and a happily married homebody. I think they gave the part to an actor in middle age so that he looked as experienced as he seemed. The cross dressing Duke of Anjou never came to England and never sought Elizabeth's hand, but it makes for a great theater.Then there is William Cecil, played by Richard Attenborough, whose heart is in the right place - as in for England and for Elizabeth - but has ideas that constrain England as a second hand power looking to France or Spain for protection. Elizabeth retires him with honors in the film and looks more and more to Walsingham. In fact, Cecil was only 13 years Elizabeth's senior, not a very old man as shown here. Elizabeth never retired him. Only death did that, and then only less than five years before her own.So enjoy the great acting, the perfect art direction and cinematography, the intrigue and the plots, and a...poisoned dress? But most of all enjoy Cate Blanchett's performance as she portrays Elizabeth as she evolves from a young girl uncertain of what to say before parliament to the point where she practices her speeches haltingly in private, into an iron maiden who shears her hair, wears a wig, and paints herself with lead in an attempt to become a symbol of power, not the woman who has been looked upon as vulnerable to plots both at home and abroad. She gives up all hopes of personal happiness to be secure on her throne to tend to her first love, England, with all of this happening in a very compressed time period compared to what really happened, if it happened at all.

A film of the early years of the reign of Elizabeth I of England (Cate Blanchett) and her difficult task of learning what is necessary to be a monarch.Although I know relatively little about Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and just as little about Elizabeth I, their stories tend to make good film. Shakespeare knew royal lives made good plays and the tradition continues still in the 21st century. We may focus less on Henry VIII and more on modern figures (see "The King's Speech"), but the lives of royalty always fascinate.Is this an accurate portrayal? Well, no, of course not. We could never truly know the personality of Elizabeth or the conversations she had, especially behind closed doors. But in a general sense this is the case. She inherited a mighty throne, and not at the best possible time.

I really enjoyed this movie. I was it enthralled from the time it started till it was over. Plus I'm a fan of Cate Blanchett. In the past couple years, I've been interested in history. Not so much for dates and all of that but what were the motivations of these real people. Of course we can't know every detail of what happened in the past. Not like today where we have to tell everybody every single thing we do on Twitter Facebook email Skype etc. They had letters and diaries and that's pretty much it. So we have to kind of fill in what we think people might have gone through along with what was written. I think they did a pretty good job. I mean let's face it in real life many of us change once we have been hurt and devastated by those we care about. Power, greed and lust sadly prevail. I don't think that has changed at all in history. Ha! Look at our politicians of today!!! I think we also begin to learn to see what is necessary and what is not necessary and who we can trust as we age. How is she or any other mom are different? The only problem I have with the movie was the overt sex scene close to the end if the movie; I don't think it was necessary to the movie at all.