Elizabeth: The Golden Age

The later years of Elizabeth's reign. Catholic Spain and King Philip II are the threat, the Armada is coming. Inside the court, the relationship between Walter Raleigh, back from his voyages, and her lady-in-waiting Bess Throckmorton crosses the queen's own solitude. Shekhar Kapur directed; it is the sequel to Elizabeth from 1998. Cate Blanchett plays Elizabeth, with Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen and Abbie Cornish in the cast. At the 80th Academy Awards Alexandra Byrne won Best Costume Design. Blanchett was nominated for Best Actress, becoming the first female actor nominated twice for the same role. Reviews were mixed. The Rotten Tomatoes consensus says it lacks the heart and creativity of the original. Roger Ebert gave it two and a half stars out of four, praising Blanchett while finding the production sumptuous and overwhelming. Accusations of historical inaccuracy and anti-Catholic bias followed. Kapur defended the film, saying it addresses extreme forms of religion rather than Catholicism, and the difference between tolerance and fundamentalism. On a 55 million dollar budget it grossed 75.8 million worldwide. Who it is for: viewers who like costume history and want to watch Blanchett. Who it is not for: anyone wanting historical accuracy. The order of events and the ages of the people involved have been altered extensively.