Elizabeth: Sloppy But Beautiful

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:09:23 -0700

Cate Blanchett, in some of the most sumptuous costumes and outrageous hairpieces, can do her best to growl and roar through this follow-up to the 1998 soapy historical piece Elizabeth, but unfortunately she can't save the faulty script and sloppy pacing that is The Golden Age. This is a shame because the more Blanchett and her equally amazing costars (Clive Owen, Geoffry Rush, Abbie Cornish) plunge into this material with all they've got, trying to compensate for the film's many flaws, the more the movie veers into camp. Thus, the mediocrity of this Elizabeth sequel is not Elizabeth's fault. It's everything else, from the uneven direction to the eye-rollingly preposterous "history lite" storylines.

Taking place 27 years into Queen Elizabeth's reign, she is, technically speaking, 52 years old, though you certainly wouldn't know if from looking at the lovely, spry Blanchett. There is a lot going on in Elizabeth's life which starts to resemble a tangled web of melodrama, not unlike an episode of The Young and the Restless. The Queen is now dealing with both a jealous Mary Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton) and a righteous King Philip II of Spain (Jordi Mollà). Add to this mix the roguish explorer Walter Raleigh who needs the Queen's support to continue his expeditions and you've got yourself a slushy spittoon of fantasy/history. To see what I mean, read more

The smart, saucy Queen's getting it from all sides here, strategizing wars and wrestling with her conscience when it comes to approving death sentences. Then, of course, there's her crush on Raleigh who flatters the Queen to her face and seduces her favorite lady-in-waiting, Bess (Cornish) behind closed doors. For a while it looks like the Queen simply can't win, and then, of course, she does, and it's all very neat and tidy.

In conversations with other people after the screening, the puzzling question on everyone's lips was "Why?" Why make another Elizabeth movie? It's possible any one of the storylines explored in the film could have made for an intriguing tale. But smashing them all together in one movie simply doesn't work in this case. Thus, there are really just two reasons to see this movie that is so disappointing it hurts my feelings: 1) If your love for Cate Blanchett is so blinding you ignore all other aspects of a film, or 2) to gape at the absolutely marvelous costumes that will surely receive an Oscar nod in '08. Otherwise, rent Elizabeth again and let well enough alone.

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Fall Movie Preview: Girl Talk

BuzzSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 07:15:00 -0700

Well it's September, folks, and the summertime movie season is officially over. Now we have a whole new crop of films to check out in the coming chillier months, so in preparation for that, I'm giving you little glimpses of this fall and winter's must-see movies with my Fall Movie Preview series. Today's roundup: films for and about the ladies.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age
This absolutely luscious-looking film brings together two gorgeous actors, Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen, for the follow-up to the 1998 period piece Elizabeth. This story follows the Queen Elizabeth's (Blanchett) relationship with Sir Walter Raleigh (Owen). Check out the beautiful trailer before The Golden Age hits theaters October 12.

More lady stuff if you read more

Jane Austen Book Club
This upcoming dramedy is exciting to me for these reasons: 1) The Jane Austen theme, and 2) the stellar cast which includes Emily Blunt, Kathy Baker, Maria Bello, Maggie Grace and Hugh Dancy. I read the book on which this is based and was only mildly impressed, so perhaps the story will be more intriguing when brought to life on film. The narrative follows - you guessed it! - a book club in which the reading material is only Jane Austen books. With Austen's stories as a backdrop, we follow along with the real womens' lives - their joys, friendships and heartaches. The Jane Austen Book Club opens September 21, so check out the trailer and see what you think.

The Brave One
Opening this Friday September 14, The Brave One has Jodie Foster playing radio host Erica Bain who falls victim to a horrific beating that her fiance (Naveen Andrews) does not survive. She purchases a gun and becomes obsessed with finding her attackers. Yet now armed with the gun, she starts to use it on various violent perpetrators she encounters in the city. Terrence Howard plays the official on the hunt for this "vigilante." I'm curious about movies like this that explore the relationship women have with personal violence - and revenge - so I look forward to seeing The Brave One.

Margot at the Wedding
I've watched the trailer for Margot at the Wedding many times, and somehow I'm still not sick of it. It just looks so real and quirky and touching, and it stars some interesting folks, like Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jack Black. Bonus: it was directed by The Squid and the Whale director Noah Baumbach. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kidman play sisters: one is the know-it-all with a son (Kidman) while the other is about to marry a schlubby dude. And know-it-all sister can't seem to keep her mouth shut about what she sees as an ill-advised marriage. I look forward to the familial roller coaster when Margot at the Wedding opens October 19.

The Brave One image courtesy of Warner Bros.
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