The
big mystery is why this film was nominated for Best Picture. Sure it looks great,
but it moves at a sluggish and tedious pace.
Cate
Blanchett gives a powerful performance as Queen Elizabeth--a young woman who inherits
the throne and must struggle to hang onto the crown amid tumultuous times.
The
art direction in the film is breathtaking, as are the costumes. But, I found it
difficult getting into the material--even though the film was full of strong performances
from Geoffrey Rush (Shine), Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare In Love), Sir Richard
Attenborough (Jurassic Park), and Kathy Burke (Nil By Mouth). Director Shekar
Kapur (Bandit Queen) has a great visual eye, but moves the story along too slowly.
The
best part of Elizabeth is learning the identity of her true friends. That is the
one unexpected delight of this film.
