On Thursday my sister & I went to see "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" at the cineplex. As a fan of Cate Blanchett & the first "Elizabeth" film, I was really looking forward to this one, which did not disappoint. It finds the queen confident after reigning some years, the court is still trying to marry her off, she's still resisting and the dashing Walter Raleigh has returned from exploring a new continent & naming part of it after her. Clive Owens is handsome, dashing & fits the part of the adventurer like a glove, naturally Elizabeth finds him appealing. The film has her fighting Spain, various conspiracies, her cousin and her attraction to Raleigh. But the cinematography is what had me riverted to the screen, it was stunning. Sumptuous vistas, buildings, camera angles from balconies, lighting from mullioned windows or glorious sunsets, scenes on cliffs & sailing ships at sea, it was a feast for the eye. Words cannot fully convey how beautiful it was.

My sister thought they spent too much time on the love story, when the political machinations were the important part, but I had trouble keeping the bad guys straight; they were all tall & slim with light hair, very interchangeble. I couldn't tell them apart, and not enough was done to differentiate them or give us backgrounds to their characters. When the activities of her cousin, Queen Mary was uncovered, that was more interesting. But the love story that was at the core was what held me emotionally, at times the longing & vulnerability of Elizabeth was so strong it was painful to me. The film showed the all too human side of a powerful ruler. And did so with some truly amazing photography.