ELIZABETH-GOLDEN AGE (DVD/WS) (ENG SDH/SPAN/FREN/DOL DIG 5.1) DVD

Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Actress Cate Blanchett returns to her Oscar-nominated role and director Shekhar Kapur steps back into the director's chair for this belated sequel to the critically acclaimed 1998 Biopic Elizabeth that explores the 16th century romance between the "Virgin Queen" and noted adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen). Michael Hirst teams with William Nicholson to pen the screenplay, and actor Geoffrey Rush returns to the role of Sir Francis Walsingham. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Cast Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I Geoffrey Rush as Sir Francis Walsingham Clive Owen as Sir Walter Raleigh Rhys Ifans as Robert Reston Jordi Mollà as King Philip II of Spain Abbie Cornish as Bess Throckmorton Samantha Morton as Mary Stuart Tom Hollander as Sir Amyas Paulet Antony Carrick as Spanish Archbishop David Threlfall as Dr. John Dee Eddie Redmayne as Thomas Babington John Shrapnel as Lord Howard Laurence Fox as Sir Christopher Hatton Adrian Scarborough as Calley Steven Robertson as Francis Throckmorton

Crew Fiona Weir - Casting Mary Richards - Co-producer Alexandra Byrne - Costume Designer Shekhar Kapur - Director Jill Bilcock - Editor Michael Hirst - Executive Producer Debra Hayward - Executive Producer Liza Chasin - Executive Producer Jenny Shircore - Hair Styles Craig Armstrong - Composer (Music Score) A.R. Rahman - Composer (Music Score) Nick Angel - Musical Direction/Supervision Jenny Shircore - Makeup Guy H. Dyas - Production Designer Remi Adefarasin - Cinematographer Eric Fellner - Producer Jonathan Cavendish - Producer Tim Bevan - Producer Michael Hirst - Screenwriter William Nicholson - Screenwriter

Elizabeth: The Golden Age
As it stands on its own, Elizabeth: The Golden Age is a delightfully bombastic period melodrama, full of sex and war and beautiful dresses. Unfortunately, as a sequel to 1998's Elizabeth (which dealt with earlier events in the 16th century monarch's reign) it's a pale imitator to the throne. The original Elizabeth grandly showcased the epic nature of an historical turning point, while simultaneously succeeding as both a political thriller and a passionately doomed omance. Add to that themes about God, power, and the manifestations of masculinity and femininity, and you had something so incredible that simply calling it a "period film" would be like calling The Godfather just another gangster movie. This gave The Golden Age a lot to live up to as a sequel, and unfortunately, it would appear that director Shekhar Kapur just didn't attempt to do so on all fronts. This isn't to say that it isn't a great film. While it may lack the power and subtext we're looking for, it still offers its share of stunning rises and falls in a somewhat historically accurate story, not to mention some fascinating glimpses into the inner lives of its characters. This comes thanks in no small part to lead actor Cate Blanchett, who handles the nuance of her larger-than-life title character with impossible ease. Rather than simply portraying a woman with alternate moments of fire and vulnerability, Blanchett creates a fully realized person, capable of being both stalwart and afraid, both powerful and unsure. A particularly impressive appearance is made by Samantha Morton, who, in a small role as Mary, Queen of Scots, evokes the intangibility of royalty perhaps best of all, with a hauntingly ephemeral performance. Failing in her bid to overthrow the English throne, she embodies the ghostly contradiction inherent in the life of a would-be monarch: she believes the crown is hers by Divine Right, and yet she is imprisoned by the lock and key of mortal men. This storytelling in The Golden Age differs greatly from its predecessor in that rather than grandly rising to each epic crescendo, it instead flows like water from one event to another -- be it the English defeat of the Spanish Armada or the forbidden love between a chambermaid and a privateer. This is indeed an odd choice for a movie built around such thunderous and high-flown happenings. Still, between its subject matter and its performances, The Golden Age can't help but be interesting -- or at least nice to look at when it lags. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
 

Alexandra Byrne: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Costume Design (winner) Alexandra Byrne: British Academy of Film and Television, Best Costume Design (nominated) Cate Blanchett: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Actress (nominated) Cate Blanchett: British Academy of Film and Television, Best Actress (nominated) Cate Blanchett: Broadcast Film Critics Association, Best Actress (nominated) Cate Blanchett: Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama (nominated) Cate Blanchett: Screen Actors Guild, Best Actress (nominated) Guy H. Dyas: Art Directors Guild, Best Art Direction in a Period Film (nominated) Guy H. Dyas: British Academy of Film and Television, Best Production Design (nominated) Jenny Shircore: British Academy of Film and Television, Best Makeup and Hair (nominated) Richard Roberts: British Academy of Film and Television, Best Production Design (nominated)

Toronto International Film Festival, Film Presented (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French, Spanish Subtitle Options: English, French, Spanish Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel Additional Features: The Reign Continues: Making Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen and Geoffrey Rush join director Shekhar Kapur in this exclusive look at how the next chapter in the monarch's life came to the big screen Commanding the Winds: Creating the Armada - an insider's look at how the film's massive ships and dramatic battles were created Inside Elizabeth's World - Discover the secrets behind the film's elaborate production design Towers, Courts and Cathedrals - Explore the historic and sacred locations that provided the glorious settings for the film DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: PG13 DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 115 min   DVD Chapters: Disc #1 -- Elizabeth: The Golden Age 1. Religious Loyalties [5:38] 2. Heir to the Throne [3:39] 3. Political Pirate [6:28] 4. Familial Betrayal [3:35] 5. In the Queen's Favor [5:46] 6. A New World [6:16] 7. Lying in Wait [6:56] 8. Enterprise of England [5:58] 9. Royal Warrant [4:28] 10. The Virgin Queen [4:31] 11. In Control [6:05] 12. Royal Attack [5:53] 13. No Time for Mercy [4:38] 14. Formal Execution [4:15] 15. Holy War Declared [6:00] 16. Prepare for the Worst [6:02] 17. In the Midst of Battle [7:05] 18. Defeat of the Armada [6:54] 19. Mother to Her People [6:14] 20. End Titles [8:13]