WOMAN. WARRIOR. QUEEN.
In the 1590s, Queen Elizabeth I (Cate Blanchett) is attracted to a dashing pirate, Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen), but England is under threat from the Spanish King and his armada. Blanchett revived the part that made her career, but this is a lackluster sequel. The operatic grandeur of Elizabeth (1998) was almost too much, and that line is crossed here; there are moments when the imagery and the characters’ posing become somewhat silly. The script is a letdown, containing far too many lulls and showing a lack of depth.
2007-Britain-France. 114 min. Color. Directed by Shekhar Kapur. Costume Design: Alexandra Byrne. Cast: Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth I), Geoffrey Rush (Sir Francis Walsingham), Clive Owen (Walter Raleigh), Rhys Ifans, Jordi Mollà, Abbie Cornish… Samantha Morton.
Oscar: Best Costume Design.
