Movies

To devalue a tale of this magnitude with the Cantona cuckoo beggars belief, might as well have had Vinnie Jones playing Norfolk! I'm unconvinced of Vincent Cassel's legitimacy in this as well.That aside, there's only one character and one actor of note to be found here and that is the magnificent Cate Blanchett who plays several divisions or leagues above even the most accomplished thespians in support. A woman born to play the role if ever there was one. She allows us to forgive some of the historical anomalies and interactions, in return we consume a performance that convinces us, albeit for only a couple of hours, that we are in the company of majesty!

This superb period drama has everything going for it, and I am saddened that it didn't get more awards.For one thing, the whole film is splendid for the eyes. A lot of care went into the scenery, cinematography and costumes and it showed. The music score was absolutely beautiful, dramatic in some parts and poignant in others. The screenplay is quite extraordinary, and the story while perhaps historically inaccurate, is still intriguing. The direction, while the least impressive element of the film, was still solid. The performances were flawless; Cate Blanchett was above mesmerising as Elizabeth, and she is supported by an outstanding cast that include Geoffrey Rush, Joseph Fiennes, Christopher Ecceleston and Richard Attenborough. All in all, sumptuously filmed, and pretty darn good. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Anyone who is looking for an historically accurate representation of the early years of Elizabeth 1's reign had best pass this one by. As far as this type of drama is concerned it has some superficial charm in respect to location, costumes and casting but the hideous distortions of fact are so blatant and so pervasive that the film becomes almost satirical. William Cecil cast as an ancient white-bearded dotard for example - Cecil was actually a mere 38 years old during the period portrayed. Why Hollywood feels obliged to revise history so often (shades of 'Braveheart' and 'The Patriot') is a mystery. Usually the real history is far more dramatic than anything the Hollywood hacks can dream up. Probably the only character who was reasonably treated in this particular film was Geoffrey Rush's Walsingham.