Blanchett puts on a bombastic performance for an equally bombastic film.
Blanchett is up for two Oscars this year. One for her lead role here as well as her third nomination as Best Supporting Actress for her role as a Bob Dylan analogue in Todd Haynes´ "I´m Not There." I thought her performance in the latter film was much stronger and far more nuanced. Still, I can see why her portrayal as Elizabeth received another nomination. It´s exactly the type of boisterous acting the Academy eats up. Blanchett puts on a bombastic performance for an equally bombastic film. There are a lot of other great actors in this cast such as Samantha Morton and Clive Owen, but neither is given a chance to show their wares. Morton, in particular, could have made a compelling arch-nemesis. There´s this subdued madness about her Mary due to her undying fanaticism in the belief she is God´s anointed queen. In both films, it is Geoffrey Rush who has the best performances as Sir Francis Walsingham, the Queen´s trusted advisor and spymaster. Part-J. Edgar Hoover, part-Karl Rove, Walsingham has since become a family man with a wife and daughter and feels his age while the Queen takes her advice more and more from famed alchemist John Dee (David Threlfall). It´s an interesting change for the character, but, again, it´s something that gets lost in the film´s extravagance.
VIDEO:
The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. This is a particularly resplendent transfer. "The Golden Age" is an exceptionally colorful film and as such the colors are especially strong and vibrant. You can see nearly every detail of the historical locations the film was shot in. A few scenes have some rather soft edges to them, perhaps due to the lighting used.
AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 with alternate Spanish and French dubbed tracks also in 5.1. The dialogue comes in crisp and clear along with the score. The sound is best displayed during the climactic naval battle. The blazing infernos, the roar of the sea, and the exploding cannons all sound booming.
EXTRAS:
The DVD comes with an audio commentary track with director Shekhar Kapur. Kapur talks throughout the film and almost never stops. He´s got something to say about everything. He discusses the reasons for making a sequel, the shooting of the film, the locations, historical context, working with the actors, and a variety of other topics. It´s not always that interesting, but there aren´t any annoying gaps of silence.
The Reign Continues: Making "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (11:22) is the standard EPK behind-the-scenes featurette. Clips from both movies are interspersed with comments from the cast and crew.
Inside Elizabeth´s World (7:24) puts the focus on Guy Dyas, the production designer. We take a look at all the work that was done for creating the film´s immaculate sets, costumes, and make-up in order to replicate the England of the late 16th century.
Commanding the Winds: Creating the Armada (12:04) is a featurette about recreating the ships of the British Navy and the Spanish Armada. We see them building an actual ship to use for the practical shooting as well as replicating the others through computer effects.
Towers, Courts, and Cathedrals (10:43) is a featurette about all the actual locations that were used in the movie and how they filmed there.
Rounding out the extras are about nine minutes worth of deleted scenes. There are also reviews for "American Gangster", "Mrs. Pettigrew Lives for a Day", "Lust, Caution" and a promo for HD-DVD, all of which play (but can be skipped) as the DVD stars up.
FILM VALUE:
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" is a gorgeous, technical achievement. However, it´s an exercise in style over substance. While the film really is great to look at, it´s an ultimately hollow affair. Fans of the original film might enjoy this lesser sequel, but I was put off by what was an overindulgent epic. "The Golden Age" proves you don´t need giant robots and massive explosions to create big-budget schlock.
VIDEO:
The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. This is a particularly resplendent transfer. "The Golden Age" is an exceptionally colorful film and as such the colors are especially strong and vibrant. You can see nearly every detail of the historical locations the film was shot in. A few scenes have some rather soft edges to them, perhaps due to the lighting used.
AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 with alternate Spanish and French dubbed tracks also in 5.1. The dialogue comes in crisp and clear along with the score. The sound is best displayed during the climactic naval battle. The blazing infernos, the roar of the sea, and the exploding cannons all sound booming.
EXTRAS:
The DVD comes with an audio commentary track with director Shekhar Kapur. Kapur talks throughout the film and almost never stops. He´s got something to say about everything. He discusses the reasons for making a sequel, the shooting of the film, the locations, historical context, working with the actors, and a variety of other topics. It´s not always that interesting, but there aren´t any annoying gaps of silence.
The Reign Continues: Making "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (11:22) is the standard EPK behind-the-scenes featurette. Clips from both movies are interspersed with comments from the cast and crew.
Inside Elizabeth´s World (7:24) puts the focus on Guy Dyas, the production designer. We take a look at all the work that was done for creating the film´s immaculate sets, costumes, and make-up in order to replicate the England of the late 16th century.
Commanding the Winds: Creating the Armada (12:04) is a featurette about recreating the ships of the British Navy and the Spanish Armada. We see them building an actual ship to use for the practical shooting as well as replicating the others through computer effects.
Towers, Courts, and Cathedrals (10:43) is a featurette about all the actual locations that were used in the movie and how they filmed there.
Rounding out the extras are about nine minutes worth of deleted scenes. There are also reviews for "American Gangster", "Mrs. Pettigrew Lives for a Day", "Lust, Caution" and a promo for HD-DVD, all of which play (but can be skipped) as the DVD stars up.
FILM VALUE:
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" is a gorgeous, technical achievement. However, it´s an exercise in style over substance. While the film really is great to look at, it´s an ultimately hollow affair. Fans of the original film might enjoy this lesser sequel, but I was put off by what was an overindulgent epic. "The Golden Age" proves you don´t need giant robots and massive explosions to create big-budget schlock.
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[release]22740[/release]