A mature Queen Elizabeth endures multiple crises late in her reign including court intrigues, an assassination plot, the Spanish Armada, and romantic disappointments.
A veteran high school teacher befriends a younger art teacher, who is having an affair with one of her 15-year-old students. However, her intentions with this new "friend" also go well beyond platonic friendship.
This film details the ascension to the throne and the early reign of Queen Elizabeth the First, as played by Cate Blanchett. The main focus is the endless attempts by her council to marry her off, the Catholic hatred of her and her romance with Lord Robert Dudley.Written by
CharmedGirl47
Shekhar Kapur made the mistake of asking Sir John Gielgud to play the Pope with an Italian accent. He was imperiously told that no, Gielgud would not be doing the part in an accent. See more »
Goofs
As Walsingham is speaking with Mary of Guise, she is holding a table knife up to her lips, and is playing with it by rotating the handle. The camera then switches to a shot from behind her head and the knife is oriented the other direction. Then, as they continue speaking, the camera shot returns to the original angle and the knife handle is reoriented back to the original hand. See more »
Quotes
Sir Francis Walsingham:
[referring to Elizabeth]
Her Majesty rules with the heart... not with the head.
Mary of Guise:
[smiles]
Hm, I understand. It is hard for a woman to forget her heart.
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The acting is superb as is the choreography. A very da Vinci-like use of like and dark in comparing the young and innocent Elizabeth with the corrupt and conspiracy ridden "royal court". Very compelling and interesting as the new queen, who is thrust, almost against her wish, into power, learns the nature of the beast she must tame and then rule. It may not be a blockbuster of an event, but you just don't find this level of acting in Hollywood. Yet, taken as a whole, the story reminded me of the Godfather, yet it takes place some 450 years in the past.
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The acting is superb as is the choreography. A very da Vinci-like use of like and dark in comparing the young and innocent Elizabeth with the corrupt and conspiracy ridden "royal court". Very compelling and interesting as the new queen, who is thrust, almost against her wish, into power, learns the nature of the beast she must tame and then rule. It may not be a blockbuster of an event, but you just don't find this level of acting in Hollywood. Yet, taken as a whole, the story reminded me of the Godfather, yet it takes place some 450 years in the past.