Helen Mirren gives a strong, majestic performance in "Elizabeth 1." The problem with this flick is that wars, and other events are over before the next scene really begins.
Ms. Mirren adequately captures the mood of Henry V111's daughter, who never married and therefore has no heir to rule after her. She can show lust one moment and a vile temper the next.
She seemed to love younger men, both of whom predeceased her. In the second case, she had the Earl of Essex put to death for his treachery. There is plenty of the latter in this HBO film.
Mirren bears a strong physical resemblance to the current Queen Elizabeth, and this is a definite asset to her engaging performance. Too bad that Jeremy Irons in senselessly wasted as the ill-fated duke. On his death bed, he encourages his stepson to take good care of the monarch. He sure does as the two engage in a passionate love affair before treachery intervenes.
The chopping off of the heads of Mary Queen of Scots and the Earl are both disgusting as best. This should have been done at a distance. To see the heads fall off is not for the squeamish.
For a woman who starved herself for 3 weeks, Mirren is able to walk around and does that to her deathbed.
You have never seen the Spanish Armada defeated so quickly as depicted in this film. Say a prayer for Dr. Lopez, Mirren's loyal physician, who is accused of treason and goes to the gallows for it. By the next scene, he is vindicated.
When she is not giving to hopping along, Mirren, as Elizabeth, is a woman driven by power and subject to intense rages. All the men in her life are in affairs with children produced. Nonetheless, she will not let spinsterhood consume her. She shows her adeptness at ruling and dealing with the Council.
Ms. Mirren adequately captures the mood of Henry V111's daughter, who never married and therefore has no heir to rule after her. She can show lust one moment and a vile temper the next.
She seemed to love younger men, both of whom predeceased her. In the second case, she had the Earl of Essex put to death for his treachery. There is plenty of the latter in this HBO film.
Mirren bears a strong physical resemblance to the current Queen Elizabeth, and this is a definite asset to her engaging performance. Too bad that Jeremy Irons in senselessly wasted as the ill-fated duke. On his death bed, he encourages his stepson to take good care of the monarch. He sure does as the two engage in a passionate love affair before treachery intervenes.
The chopping off of the heads of Mary Queen of Scots and the Earl are both disgusting as best. This should have been done at a distance. To see the heads fall off is not for the squeamish.
For a woman who starved herself for 3 weeks, Mirren is able to walk around and does that to her deathbed.
You have never seen the Spanish Armada defeated so quickly as depicted in this film. Say a prayer for Dr. Lopez, Mirren's loyal physician, who is accused of treason and goes to the gallows for it. By the next scene, he is vindicated.
When she is not giving to hopping along, Mirren, as Elizabeth, is a woman driven by power and subject to intense rages. All the men in her life are in affairs with children produced. Nonetheless, she will not let spinsterhood consume her. She shows her adeptness at ruling and dealing with the Council.