What Do The Critics Say?

"The film is beautifully shot, filling the screen with brightly saturated hues that give it an almost fairy tale-like visual sense, rather like a series of Pre-Raphaelite paintings brought to life." Kim Voynar CINEMATICAL "Shekhar Kapur’s "Elizabeth: The Golden Age", from a screenplay by William Nicholson and Michael Hirst, turned out to be more rousingly entertaining than many of its less-than-lukewarm reviews had led me to anticipate. Mr. Kapur’s restless camera never lingers over any scene or tableau to the point of possible turgidity. Instead, he relentlessly searches for new angles and new chromatic shadings for the ever-changing compositions. I, for one, can report that I was never bored." Andrew Sarris NEW YORK OBSERVER "It's a full-scale star performance in every sense...and I wouldn't be surprised if, like Helen Mirren last year, Blanchett walks away with an Elizabethan Oscar." David Noh FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL "When you see Cate Blanchett in one fantastical gown after another, you understand why Elizabeth's reign was golden." Joe Morgenstern WALL STREET JOURNAL "Expect a fast-paced, beautifully mounted and well-acted soap opera with overripe dialogue that plays fast and loose with history, just like they did in the '30s, '40s and '50s, and you won't come away disappointed." Lou Lumenick NEW YORK POST

"All in all, it's a grand package of hearty acting, design and action with the only caveat being that unlike the first film this Elizabeth can no longer surprise us with its modern twists." Kirk Honeycutt HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "Cate Blanchett returns to the role that made her a star, and though this sequel to Elizabeth (1998) is less defensible as history, as florid costume drama it's just as entertaining." J. R. Jones CHICAGO READER "Elizabeth: The Golden Age is a kitsch extravaganza aquiver with trembling bosoms, booming guns and wild energy." Manohla Dargis NEW YORK TIMES "a feast for the eyes and a portrait of a leader who has to rely as much on herself as anyone else when her nation is under attack." Daniel M Kimmel WORCESTER TELEGRAM & GAZETTE "Cate the Great once again imbues the Queen with her captivating mix of steely strength, regal dignity, take-no-crap toughness, and intimate vulnerability." Michael Dequina MR BROWN'S MOVIES "There are movies that are so bad they're good, and then there are movies that are so bad they're completely awesome." Tim Brayton ANTAGONY & ECSTASY "It is rich in colour, sumptuous costumes, political intrigues and the personal relationships which dominate Elizabeth once more. Samantha Morton (as Mary Queen of Scots) and Geoffrey Rush (returning as Sir Francis Walsingham) are top quality. And Blanchett gives an Oscar-worthy performance which will surely stir English hearts." Kit Bowen HOLLYWOOD.COM

The Inside Story Nearly a decade has passed since Australian actress Cate Blanchett became an international star after appearing in the lead role as the virgin queen in "Elizabeth". The success of the film was recognized by the number of awards it was nominated for and received. "Elizabeth was nominated for Academy Awards Oscars ® (including Best Picture and Best Actress, Blanchett), with makeup designer Jenny Shircore winning an Oscar; 11 BAFTAs, winning six including Best Actress and, three Golden Globes with Blanchett taking the covetted statue. In a twist of fate, "Elizabeth" missed out to a film her co-star Geoffrey Rush appeared in and also received a BAFTA for, "Shakespeare in Love". This same film would take the Oscar ® for Best Picture as well as the BAFTA in the same category and the Oscar ® for Best Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow). There is another twist to the awards that year. Judi Dench took out the Oscar ® for Best Supporting Actress. Both actresses would later find themselves nominated for an Oscar ® at the 2007 Academy Awards after appearing together in the wildly, wonderful 2006 film, "Notes On a Scandal". Both would be denied a statue. Dench (Best Actress category) was denied by Helen Mirren ("The Queen") and Cate missed out to Jennifer Hudson ("Dreamgirls"). Blanchett's major rewards for "Elizabeth" also include: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award; Chicago Film Critics Association Award; Chlotrudis Award; Empire Award UK; Las Vegas Film Critics Society Sierra Award; London Critics Circle Actress Of The Year Film Award; OFCS Award; Golden Satellite Award and the Toronto Film Critics Association Award. Now Cate and Geoffrey are back in the sequel, "Elizabeth The Golden Age" the genesis of which started during production of "Elizabeth" when the filmmakers discussed the idea of telling the story of Elizabeth I (from the young girl to the Queen who ruled nearly 45 years) in a trilogy of films. "Elizabeth the First’s entire reign could not be told effectively in one film," says producer Tim Bevan ("Hot Fuzz" & "Mr Bean's Holiday"). "It was so long and so much happened during it, and she encountered so many extraordinary people." Approximately five years after the completion of "Elizabeth", the team felt the time was right to commission writers Michael Hirst (who penned the first film) and William Nicholson to begin work on the screenplay that would become "Elizabeth: The Golden Age", which covers the period a decade after that which was covered in the original and examines the glorious middle years of her rule. On a political level, the film explores Elizabeth’s conflict with Philip II of Spain, who, as the ruler of his own Catholic empire with the considerable backing of the Church in Rome, not to mention the might of the ruthless Inquisition, was regarded as the most powerful man in the world. Religiously devout, he had sworn to blanket the world in Catholicism, whatever the cost. "It’s about the conflict between fundamentalism and tolerance, the search for the self, divinity. It’s about mortality and immortality. It’s all things we deal with in our personal lives every day," says director Shekhar Kapur. As the story is about Elizabeth, it was, of course, essential to secure Cate Blanchett in the part. "Without Cate as Elizabeth, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" could not have been made," Kapur simply states. Interestingly enough, the Oscar ® winner and prolific Blanchett was not immediately attracted to the idea of returning to the role. Kapur and Rush campaigned Blanchett over dinner, and it was only later that she agreed to portray the ruler once again. "It helped, however, when I played Hedda Gabler in a production in Sydney, and then again eighteen months later in New York. I had a sense that through returning to a role, you can delve deeper into it," Blanchett explained. "I’ve learned much more about filmmaking since Elizabeths. That said, it is a tricky role and there are times when I thought I’ve got it all wrong and I wanted to start again." Kapur acknowledges that for Cate "this is a far more challenging part, where she is much more active than reactive. Elizabeth is now far more complex. Cate has given a performance that maintains the vulnerability she expressed in Elizabeth, but now, it is underneath the surface of this much stronger woman." The leading lady admits a big draw was the opportunity to re-team with director Kapur. "We connect. We always understand where one another is coming from." "Cate realized in the first movie that she was talking to contemporary women; what she’s done in this film is explore the price of having it all," notes Bevan. "For Elizabeth, it’s career, the price of being omnipotent and the price of being a woman in a man’s world. I think that will speak directly to all women." Oscar ® winner Geoffrey Rush ("Shine") signed on to reprise his role as Elizabeth’s great adviser Sir Francis Walsingham, before Blanchett has agreed to playing his characters Queen. "Walsingham was the great spymaster. He moved his way into a very powerful position in Elizabeth’s court and, by the 1580s, he was masterminding one of the greatest espionage networks throughout Europe. He was an intellectual of that age and was the person that created the powerful notion of the ruler being a divine figure. He was a person of great discipline and control, as was his Queen," Rush says. "Walsingham’s journey in this film is extremely moving. His powers are failing him. He’s not quite on top of his game any longer. And Geoffrey lends a gravitas to the characterization which is quite astonishing to watch," says Jonathan Cavendish ("Croupier"). Screen Actors Guild Award winner Clive Owen was cast as the bold explorer Sir Walter Raleigh. "Into the mix came Clive Owen, who read the part of Raleigh and decided that one was for him," says Bevan, "which unconditionally, was fantastic." "Clive is an amazing actor and has the personality and the face I totally believe as Raleigh. He’s undeniably credible as the free electron that comes in and creates chaos," says Kapur. "Raleigh had a breath of fresh air about him, a freedom, an energy. He was a complicated mixture," Owen notes, "attractive and very well educated, but also outspoken and incredibly arrogant at the same time." The task of playing Elizabeth’s young and attractive lady in waiting, Elizabeth 'Bess' Throckmorton, went to risng star Australian actress and Australian Film Institute Award winner Abbie Cornish ("Somersault"). Cornish (the recipient of the 1999 Australian Film Institute Young Actor's Award for ABC TV'S "Wildside") is devine in this role. This film should give the twenty five year olds career huge impetus. The production team got everything they wished for when she signed on. "We wanted someone who expressed freshness, youth and energy, somebody upon whom Elizabeth could reflect as being a younger version of herself. We wanted someone who wasn’t widely known, but who also had the acting ability and charisma to hold her own opposite Cate," Cavendish revealed. "The camera absolutely adores her," says Rush. "There’s no training, no technical background, it’s just a pure innate artistry. She’s one of those great talents that constantly alerts one to what’s going on underneath." Cornish, who recently appeared with Rush in "Candy" relished the prospect of playing a character from a world that was completely unknown to her, opposite an impressive cast. "There is something intriguing about Bess, in that she carries both light and dark. Shekhar has an ability to dive in and explore something endlessly and without limits, without any boundaries," she stated. Spanish star Jordi Molla was cast as Catholic ruler, King Philip II of Spain. "I wanted to play him with a very weak voice and an unusual gait, peculiarities that could have made him the object of ridicule and provide a reason for his complex," Molla said. Part of his hostility toward the usurper Elizabeth (beyond her religious beliefs) might have been due to the fact that Philip had been married to Elizabeth’s older half-sister, Mary I, the daughter of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. Mary was regarded by some historians as a Catholic zealot. She became known as 'Bloody Mary' because two hundred and eighty heretics were executed in her short reign. The Mary featured in "Elizabeth The Golden Age" is Mary Queen of Scots, who is Elizabeth’s cousin. The daughter of James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise, Mary is remembered for her beauty, misfortune and political ineptitude. That role went to two time Oscar ® nominee ("Sweet and Lowdown" & "In America") Samantha Morton. "I found Mary a fascinating character, and I found Shekhar’s attitude towards her very exciting, refreshing and very daring, not with the intention of courting controversy, but to capture her essence. He approaches every character in a fresh and original way," Morton said. Those who are sticklers for historical fact should note that Kapur says, "I wouldn’t say we’ve taken liberty with history, because all history is interpretation." One contribution that can't be overlooked is that of three time Oscar ® nominee, costume designer Alexandra Byrne who said, "The more I read about her, the more references I discovered to her amazing appearance, her astounding dresses and her beauty, and I felt that it was important to give some sense of that to an audience today, by making her look, perhaps, more accessible to us than historical dramas normally do." Synopsis

Queen Elizabeth I is facing a bloodlust for her throne as well as familial betrayal. Growing keenly aware of the changing religious and political tides of late 16th century Europe, Elizabeth finds her rule openly challenged by the Spanish King Philip II, who, with his powerful army and sea-dominating armada, determined to restore England to Catholicism. Preparing to go to war to defend her empire, Elizabeth struggles to balance ancient royal duties with an unexpected vulnerability in her love for Raleigh. But he remains forbidden for a queen who has sworn body and soul to her country. Unable and unwilling to pursue her love, Elizabeth allows her favorite lady-in-waiting and ward, Bess, to befriend Raleigh to keep him near. But this strategy forces Elizabeth to observe their growing intimacy. Then Sir Francis Walsingham uncovers that Elizabeth's own cousin Mary Stuart is planning an assassination plot.

The Verdict 'Australian cinemagoers are probably the most savvy in the world when it comes to appreciating good productions and as such, I'm sure "Elizabeth The Golden Age" will receive a far better reception 'down under'. It really is a remarkable sequel. The performances of Australian trio Blanchett, Rush and Cornish are all praiseworthy as is that of British star Clive Owen. It's a sumptuous, colorful production with excellent costuming by 1999 Golden Satellite Award winner Alexandra Byrne ("Elizabeth"), that are worth seeing in their own right. Working Title Films involvement is a statement in itself. You can generally be assured that when the names Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner ("Notting Hill", "Bridget Jones's Diary", "Love Actually" & "United 93") appear in the credits, you are going to get your monies worth. Don't be put off by the lack of enthusiasm in the U.S.A. Well worth seeing. 3 1/2 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "ELIZABETH THE GOLDEN AGE" stars .......
Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett ["The Aviator", "Babel", "The Good German" and "Notes on a Scandal"]; Golden Biznaga Award winner Jordi Mollà ["Blow", "Bad Boys II" and "The Alamo"]; 2004 AFI Best Actress Award winner Abbie Cornish ["Somersault", "Candy" and "A Good Year"]; 2005 BAFTA Film Award winner Clive Owen ["I'll Sleep When I'm Dead", "Closer", "Inside Man" and "Children of Men"]; Evening Standard British Film Award winner Samantha Morton ["Minority Report", "Enduring Love", "Lassie" and "Control"] and Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush ["Shine", "The Tailor of Panama", "Candy" and "Pirates of the Caribbean I, II & III"] as Sir Francis Walsingham.
"ELIZABETH THE GOLDEN AGE" was .......
directed by four time Filmfare Award winner Shekhar Kapur ["Bandit Queen", "Elizabeth" and "The Four Feathers"]; screenplay by William Nicholson ["Sarafina!", "Nell" and "First Knight"] and Michael Hirst ["The Ballad of the Sad Cafe", "Meeting Venus" and "Elizabeth"]; costume design by BAFTA TV Award winner Alexandra Byrne ["Elizabeth", "Captain Corelli's Mandolin", "Finding Neverland" and "The Phantom of the Opera"]; production design by Guy Dyas ["X-Men 2", "The Brothers Grimm" and "Superman Returns"]; edited by 2002 American Cinema Editors 'Eddie' Award winner Jill Bilcock ["Muriel's Wedding", "The Dish", "Road To Perdition", "Japanese Story" and "Catch a Fire"]; director of photography Remi Adefarasin ["Sliding Doors", "Johnny English", "Scoop" and "Amazing Grace"]. Who's Who?

Cate Blanchett Abbie Cornish Clive Owen Geoffrey Rush Samantha Morton David Threlfall Jordi Mollà John Shrapnel Rhys Ifans Susan Lynch Adam Godley Kirstin Coulter Smith Kelly Hunter Aimee King

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Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth Throckmorton Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Francis Walsingham Mary Stuart Dr John Dee King Philip ll of Spain Lord Howard Robert Reston Annette William Walsingham Mary Walsingham Ursula Walsingham Infanta

Run Time 114 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2007 - Universal Pictures International - All Rights Reserved ©2007 All Rights Reserved - The Movie Pages - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark Laws Apply.