Elizabeth..the Golden Age. Anyone else find it too Americanised, too political....

[inthegutter]

Not a patch on the first Elizabeth I thought. Cate Blanchett great, no problem with any of the actors, but just seemed to have so many political overtones. Whiter than white virgin queen versus evil, very Middle Eastern looking enemy. And the enemy believing they're fighting in god's name. Hmmm.

I saw it and did think it quite 'hollywood' and overdramatic. very nice to watch though and cate blanchett soooo fab as usual. i thought the portrayal of the spanish was quite amusing, did not pick up on a 'middle eastern looking enemy' theme myself. and all the warring in those times was very much in the name of religion i think. elizabeth was portrayed as very 'perfect' in the film which was irritating, didn't she have walter raleigh's head chopped off in real life???

the whole thing was ludicrous, we really wanted to walk out. Only stayed put as we don't get to the cinema much
Cate Blanchett's hairpieces had me gripped, though. I liked her long, freeflowing 'natural' wig for the speech-to-the-troops scene (we'd earlier seen her with shaven head)
clive owen really tanked
peter bradshaw in the guardian was brilliant on this film. thanks to his tipoff, I spotted CB's third leg during a sidesaddle scene

did elizabeth really wear armour and ride her horse?
and bash up her lady in waiting
and love sir walter rayleigh
how do we know

nobody expects a spanish inquisition

please please please download mark kermode on radio 5 live film review of this. you will wee yourself laughing.

she didn't have Raleigh beheaded, James I did.

She did have the Earl of Essex beheaded though (who was her last big Favourite)

did hse really have a shaven head?

didn't all those huge heavy wigs make your hair drop out? So yeah, I guess her real hair would have been fairly thin and sparse. Although I didn't like the production of the film, the costumes were wonderful to look at - did she really wear armour on her horse and if so would it really have been sooooo shiny? Very jealous of her bath though, with a lady in waiting to comb her hair for her.

It was James I and VI who chopped off Raleigh's head, not Elizabeth (well, he didn't do it personally, but you know what I mean). Elizabeth died in late March 1603 and by the summer James had Walt locked up in the Tower.

Visually enchanting but often overwhelming. Dh's comment 'A bit OTT'. Cate was brilliant. Well worth seeing.

very OTT but then again, what did you expect? a sequel never pretends to be anything but a money spinner.
Did enjoy it though.
The final scene was beautiful, like a turner or a sisley.