Iain Gray Freelance Writer
Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Review
If you are a history pedant with high blood pressure avoid this sequel to the 1998 film.
The sight of Sir Walter Raleigh diving heroically into the English Channel after personally steering the fleet of burning English ships into the Spanish Armada might just give you a nasty turn.
However, if you can ignore the sometimes astonishing use of dramatic licence, then there is much to enjoy.
The production values are extraordinarily lavish, but the main reasons to tolerate the numerous historical liberties are the majestic performances of Cate Blanchett as the Queen and Geoffrey Rush as Walsingham, her spy master.
Their relationship is beautifully realised, having evolved into something akin to an old married couple.
Article archive
2012
July
- 27.07.12 Dr Seuss’ The Lorax - Review
June
- 12.06.12 Rock of Ages - Review
May
- 11.05.12 Charlie Casanova - Review
- 04.05.12 Being Elmo - Review
2009
April
- 19.04.09 LA Confidential - Review
- 05.04.09 Ran - Review
March
- 29.03.09 Sherman’s March - Review
- 22.03.09 A Man Escaped - Review
- 15.03.09 Raging Bull - Review
- 08.03.09 8 Women - Review
- 08.03.09 The Terror by Dan Simmons - Review
- 01.03.09 King Kong - Review
February
- 22.02.09 Taxi To The Dark Side - Review
- 15.02.09 Audition - Review
- 08.02.09 When Harry Met Sally - Review
- 01.02.09 Vanishing Point - Review
January
- 25.01.09 Black Narcissus - Review
- 18.01.09 Dracula - Review
- 11.01.09 Brazil - Review
- 04.01.09 Lantana - Review
2008
December
- 28.12.08 The Edge - Review
- 14.12.08 The French Connection - Review
- 07.12.08 Annie Hall - Review
November
- 30.11.08 Rescue Dawn - Review
- 23.11.08 Million Dollar Baby - Review
- 16.11.08 Baraka - Review
- 09.11.08 The Searchers - Review
- 08.11.08 Far Cry 2 - Review
- 02.11.08 Great Expectations - Review
October
- 26.10.08 Jacob’s Ladder - Review
- 19.10.08 The Last Waltz - Review
- 12.10.08 Mulholland Drive - Review
- 05.10.08 Bringing Up Baby - Review
September
- 28.09.08 The Killing - Review
- 21.09.08 The Man Who Wasn’t There - Review
- 14.09.08 Big Night - Review
- 07.09.08 Total Recall - Review
August
- 31.08.08 The Exterminating Angel - Review
- 24.08.08 Dark City - Review
- 17.08.08 Chinatown - Review
- 10.08.08 Escape From New York - Review
- 03.08.08 Best in Show - Review
July
- 27.07.08 The Cider House Rules - Review
- 20.07.08 The Prestige - Review
- 13.07.08 La Reine Margot - Review
- 06.07.08 The Remains of the Day - Review
June
- 29.06.08 The Station Agent - Review
- 22.06.08 Duck Soup - Review
- 15.06.08 Dirty Harry - Review
- 08.06.08 Dancer in the Dark - Review
- 01.06.08 A Matter of Life and Death - Review
May
- 18.05.08 Days of Heaven - Review
- 11.05.08 Assembly - Review
- 04.05.08 Vertigo - Review
April
- 27.04.08 My Neighbour Totoro - Review
- 20.04.08 A Simple Plan - Review
- 13.04.08 True Lies - Review
- 06.04.08 Excalibur - Review
March
- 30.03.08 Rendition - Review
- 23.03.08 After Life - Review
- 16.03.08 Les Diaboliques - Review
- 09.03.08 2001: A Space Odyssey - Review
- 02.03.08 Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Review
February
- 24.02.08 Blood Simple - Review
- 17.02.08 Ratatouille - Review
- 12.02.08 Terrible film - great tagline
- 10.02.08 Atonement - Review
- 03.02.08 3:10 to Yuma - Review
January
- 20.01.08 Arsenic and Old Lace - Review
- 13.01.08 Stranger Than Fiction - Review
- 06.01.08 Half Ton Mom - Review
2007
December
- 30.12.07 1408 - Review
- 16.12.07 The Bourne Ultimatum - Review
- 02.12.07 Prepare the perfect Christmas #1
- 02.12.07 Prepare the perfect Christmas #2
- 02.12.07 Prepare the perfect Christmas #3
- 02.12.07 Shrek the Third- Review
November
- 25.11.07 Property Ladder - Review
- 18.11.07 Deja-vu or Re-record?
- 17.11.07 Warhawk - Review
- 04.11.07 Die Hard 4.0 - Review
October
- 31.10.07 Some day your prints will come