Customer Reviews:
Excellant but very gory adaption.......2007-09-03
Being a history nut I really enjoyed this film. It breated life into characters that I have only read about in a book or seen in a documentary.
Although Helen Mirren's role was understandably and correctly lauded we have seen and heard a lot about Elizabeth over the years, for me it was great to see characters such as Francis Walsingham and Robert Dudley fleshed out.
SPOILER ALERT
My one complaint has been mentioned before but deserves another mention. This involves the tortue and the execution scenes, particularly the hanging drawing and quartering scene. Now I agree that it was accurate to the times and I think I can understand why it was in the film but it was shown in a manner that took me by surprise. For instance when Babington was executed it showed him being dragged from the scaffold with the camera upon his face, then when the executioners drag him to the table and force his head down, the camera pans down to show his companion being disembowled slowly while alive. It made me start and overwhelmed my mind for much the rest of the film.
Ok it happened like this in reality but to show this in such detail in a 15 film is in my opinion highly unnesesary. It could have been done like the execution scene in Braveheart, itself a highly viceral film. We all knew what was happening to him (Wallace) yet they did not NEED TO show in all its gruesome glory. This in a film already abounding with chopped limbs, smashed heads and bloody battles!!
If they felt necessary to depict the scenes like this then perhaps like the Passion of the Christ, a film showing an even more agonizing and almost as gruesome form of execution the rating should have gone up to an 18. At the least we should given a clear warning because I could not get rid of that image for weeks.
END SPOiLER
Saying that I still loved the film and thought it highly classy. There was crackling performances and chemistry from the leads and wonderful atmosphere throughout. The threat and subsequent neutralisation of the Spanish Armada was wonderfully realised and 'those quotes' were delivered with perfection. Especially when Elizabeth realised how much her words encouraged and strengthened her troops.
All in all highly recomended to all.
A Vivid, Colourful and Moving Performance From A Brilliant Actress.......2007-07-27
Helen Mirren's performance is stunning in this, cementing her position as one of Britain's most charismatic and versatile actors. This film charts the life of another impressive woman, Elizabeth the first, during various tumultuous stages of her life.
What is particularly brilliant about this film is the way in which Mirren so convincingly shows the anguish and difficulty of Elizabeth the First's reign, in an age where Monarchs had purpose, strength and challenging lives. The most convincing part of Elizabeth's struggle which Mirren has perfected is Elizabeth's dilemma when it came to balancing business and pleasure, or more specifically, balancing the greater good of the country with her sexuality and desires. This is part of what makes this film so fascinating and potent - for every women has the same dilemma in life, and at some point in her life, finds that logic and sexuality cannot always co-exist in perfect harmony. Being the nigh on perfect actress that she is, Mirren encapsulates this battle between business and pleasure with convincing aplomb.
Elizabeth's various (apparently unconsummated) relationships with various men, including the Earl Of Leicester, are detailed here, as is her unique and impressive ability to reign supreme over all men, keeping them all in check and reverent to her impressive, assured authority.
In portraying a unique and inspiring woman, Mirren absolutely dazzles, and truly brings the Elizabeth of the history books back to life, in order for viewers to investigate and celebrate the life of one of history's most impressive leaders.
A great, sweeping portrayal of Elizabeth from age 45 to her death at 69. Helen Mirren shines.......2007-06-04
This may be a television mini-series but it has the quality, detail and acting superiority of an excellent motion picture. Elizabeth (Helen Mirren) has been on the throne for twenty years. It's 1579 and she is 45 years old. We meet her at the conclusion of a discrete but public examination to establish for all to know that she is capable of bearing a child. The need for her to marry, both to ensure an heir and to ensure her survival as Queen, obsesses her councilors. For Elizabeth, it's not so simple. She is not just a queen, but a sovereign ruler, anointed, in her words, by God. She has the same passionate need for love and intimacy as her subjects. She probably realizes that marriage, in her era, would most likely lead to her own inevitable subordination to her husband if he is English or the subordination of the country to another country if he is foreign. She most probably realizes that by not making a choice, she keeps all the choices on the bargaining table.
And, of course, there is the question of her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots, now a prisoner but a continuing threat to her rule, whom her councillors want dead. There is her own passionate nature focussed on Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (Jeremy Irons), and, later, on the young Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex (Hugh Dancy). One will die in bed; one will lose his head. There are religious issues so deeply held they could, and have, split the nation. Before long, there will be the threat of Spanish invasion to deal with. Through it all, Elizabeth procrastinates, twists and turns, takes a step forward and then one back. If we didn't already know her story so well, we might be surprised when we realize that in time the religious question is finessed with little violence, that Mary is dealt with, that the Spanish fail, that her people come to love her (more or less), that she invariably chooses her councilors well and they become dedicated to her, that she will be the one to make the final decisions and that rebellion is a fatal choice for those who disagree with her, even if they are one of her favorites. She is, in fact, a ruler who makes mistakes, can be swayed by vanity and avoids choices, but who when it matters makes the right choices.
Helen Mirren does a masterful job, taking Elizabeth from 45 to Elizabeth's death at 69. Elizabeth could be fickle and imperious, but she had a core of steel, particularly when it came to defending her realm and her prerogatives. Mirren is such a dynamic and skilled actor it is entirely believable that the young Earl of Essex just might find the aging Queen an agreeable and intimate companion. Mirren is equally believable in demonstrating the iron will of a Queen who moves against someone she may well have loved.
Mirren is at her best in dealing with complex emotions. When Elizabeth at last is brought to sign the order of execution for Mary but then tells the clerk to keep her action secret and not to show the document to anyone until she tells him, Mirren gives us a subtle portrait of Elizabeth, a Queen who knows it's in her best interests to have Mary executed but who flinches from being the one to make the order happen. At some level, Elizabeth must know that her order will not be kept secret, that it will be given to her councillors and that Walsingham will see to it that the execution takes place immediately. As Walsingham says, the Queen wants Mary executed but doesn't want to be the one responsible. It's a complex set of motives and emotions that Mirren has to display; they range from her reluctant signing to her hysteria when she learns Mary has been executed.
Equally impressive is Mirren demonstrating the ability of Elizabeth to rouse the rabble with a combination of patriotism and bravado. She does a bravura job with Elizabeth's famous words before her army awaiting the Spanish invasion: "Let tyrants fear; I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good will of my subjects. And therefore I am come amongst you at this time, not as for my recreation or sport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live or die amongst you all; to lay down, for my God, and for my kingdom, and for my people, my honor and my blood, even the dust. I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England, too!"
While Mirren dominates the story, all the actors are excellent. In major roles, in addition to Irons and Dancy, there is Patrick Malahyde as Sir Francis Walsingham, Toby Jones as Robert Cecil, Barbara Flynn as Mary and Ian McDiarmid as William Cecil. The production is sumptuous and the DVD picture is immaculate.
Brilliant, but inacurate........2007-03-25
I think this is absolutely brilliant. Helen Mirren plays Elizabeth the way i imagened her to be. Jeremy Irons is also fantastic and acting some scenes with a breeze. The only issue i have with this tv/film is that it does have the most horrific executions and tortures i have ever seen in a film e.g if you actually want to see what hung drawn and quartered would have been like to witness then this wont let you down (yuk). Also mary queen of scots being executed is horrific, when the axe comes down the camera is starring right at her neck, it also takes 2 strokes of the axe to cut the head off. (histroricly innacurate). But appart from that its great. Just dont faint while watching the gory bits. Helen mirren does the famous heart and stomach of a king speech wounderfully. Its on two discs 2 hours on each disc, so its about 4 hours long. If you love histry you wont be dissapointed.
A must for all 'Elizabeth I' Fans!!.......2007-02-08
This was a masive hit here in UK, it won the golden Globes too!! It was a fantasic performance of the monarch who has fascinated us for centeries. Helen Mirren played her like no other. This version plays on the 'other side' that we never got to understand of Elizabeth, her relationships! We get an insight into her mind and can sympathise with her. You must watch this if your a fan of the Elizabethan period.
Amazon.co.uk Review
Elijah Wood has one of his first post-Frodo leading roles in the mild-mannered comedy All I Want (the original title of which was Try Seventeen in its film festival showings). He's a 17-year-old college dropout who moves into a funky old apartment building and becomes intrigued by his wacky neighbours. Mandy Moore plays the self-absorbed actress across the hall and Run Lola Run goddess Franka Potente is a cranky photographer. The movie has a few surprises (the casting seems to suggest a teenybopper romance for Wood and Moore, but not so fast), although the energy level rarely perks up and it's pretty thin on actual narrative happenings. Wood's tendency toward fantasy is an especially tired device. A furtive sense of humour, plus the big adoring close-ups of the highly photogenic leading ladies, provides the low-key interest. Trivia: Elizabeth Perkins plays the hero's irresponsible mum; she was also Elijah Wood's mother in Avalon. --Robert Horton
Customer Reviews:
All he wants.......2006-01-11
It's tough being a seventeen-year-old virgin. Especially one with an active imagination, and gallons of hormones. Or at least, it's tough for Jones Dillon, the slightly neurotic teenage hero of "All I Want," a fitful but rather amusing romantic comedy that breaks some rules and sticks religiously to others.
Seventeen-year-old Jones (Elijah Wood) arrives at a university -- unless he enrolls, he can't access the sizable inheritance his grandpa left him. But after being scared off by the roommate from hell, he drops out and heads to a local sublet apartment building. The building comes with some unusual roommates: gay cowboy Brad (Aaron Pearl), sultry aspiring actress Lisa (Mandy Moore), and sullen photographer Jane (Franka Potente).
Settling into his new home, Jones bickers with his estranged mother from Texas, and writes (very imaginative) letters to the mysterious father he never knew. But to deal with the problems of his life, this confused teen will have to face up to the reality around him -- and the women who want him. Especially when he learns that the truth is harsh, and might just break his heart.
Romantic comedies are a dime a dozen, and most of them are forgotten the moment the credits roll. In contrast, "All I Want" (original title: "Try Seventeen") manages to be pretty memorable. Different settings, different characters, and a different kind of lead -- rather than a Holden Caulfield wannabe or a stud, Jones is the kind of likable kid who lives down your street.
The script is somewhat flawed. The ending is pure Hollywood cliche. And it's hard to see why Jones would prefer the alcoholic and abusive Jane over the sweeter if sluttier Lisa. However, relative directing newbie Jeffrey Porter shows plenty of quirks and humor that you won't find in any Julia Roberts comedy -- Jones daydreaming about blasting a car with a bazooka, while blonde bombshells fawn over him, is especially funny.
Elijah Wood gives a wonderfully nuanced, layered performance as Jones, a naive teenager whose life is in a tangle. Wood plays Jones as a sweet, wistful lad with some unusual quirks, but also gets to be rough'n'tough in the delicious "revenge" scene near the end. Mandy Moore shares good chemistry with him, and gives astonishing depth to what could have been a soulless role; her Lisa is flawed, but a pleasant person with regrets and personality. And most memorable is Blondie singer Debbie Harry, as a sexy matron who invades Jones's dreams.
A fun if flawed romantic comedy, "All I Want" features excellent acting from Wood and Moore, and a likably quirky sensibility. Fun and cute, and certainly worth curling up in front of.
Elijah Wood proves there is life after Frodo..........2004-04-22
When I first sat down to watch this film, I was wondering, am I going tobe thinking "that's Frodo" throughout?
Well, the answer is a resounding no. Elijah captures the character ofJones perfectly in this coming of age tale, I suppose it helps that hedoes actually look young.
Elijah plays Jones Dillon, a seventeen year old who drops out of collegeon the first day and decides to rent an apartment instead. With nothingexcept a trunk and an old typewriter, he sets about fitting in with hisnew neighbours, Lisa, an aspiring actress (Mandy Moore) and the enigmaticphotographer Jane (Franka Potente.)
Realising that he will actually need some furniture at some stage, hevisits Ma Mabely's Used Furniture shop and meets Ma herself, Debbie Harry,who then guest stars in a few of his fantasies. :-)
It is slightly quirky, and Jones' fantasies are very funny, but hiding adeeper hurt. He writes letters to his unkown father but never sends them,keeping them in his trunk.
The acting of all the cast is great and thesoundtrack is fantastic, fits in well with each scene. I just loved thecharacter of Jones he seems so vulnerable and worldly at the same time(and I'm not going to complain about a shirtless Elijah! Hmm, is itgetting hot in here? Ahem!)
Excellent romantic comedy.
Whimsical, leisurely comedy.......2004-01-26
Your response to this film will largely depend on what you were looking for when you rented/bought it. The story of 17 year old, virginal Jones Dillon certainly isn't innovative, and neither is it particularly clever, insightful, or quite as quirky as it's scriptwriters felt it to be. But neither is it 'just another teen movie'.
I certainly didn't bring any post-LotR expectations to this film, and as such I wasn't disappointed. Elijah Wood has never been more cute, more innocent, more lovably huggable as in this film. His characterisation is probably one of the film's major faults, as his relationships with the female leads only serve to make him even more vulnerable, and give the impression that he is taken advantage of by his older, more experienced co-stars... Then again, if you're not a teeny Elijah fan, the sight of him stripped and pinned to the bed by none other than Debbie Harry will certainly take care of some wish-fulfillment ;)
Watch 'All I Want' with an open mind, and be transported back to your teenage years, when your first crush felt like true love, and all your life seemed a series of disappointment. Walk with Jones through his trials, his hopes, and young infatuations, and remember when all your dreams threatened to come true. Do this, and I bet the four stars I gave this film will be warranted.
this is all i want.......2004-01-26
brilliant, truely witty and a real light hearted chick flick. Jones (Wood) is new in the neighbourhood and is finding it hard to get along with his new neighbours. This film is just so enjoyable and I'm not even a big fan of chick flicks but this one I fell in love with immediately, Wood plays a seventeen year old colleger who has moved into a small apartment with some strange neighbours and all he has is a typewriter and some letters, his nearest neighbours are two stunning women and he is torn between them throughout, he has a crazy imagination that will make you laugh and deep family problems. I loved the ending, Elijah kicks ass and he is soooo very gorgous...
this is all I want.......2004-01-26
I really fell in love with this film and elijah the very first time I saw it. Not so good for an action or thriller lover as it is quite light hearted, but even I don't like your average chick flick sentimental crap and I thought this particular one was brill. The seventeen year old "Jones" (elijah) settles into a small apartment and doesnt get on to well with his new neighbours at first, he has a crazy imagination which will make you laugh. His two next door neighbours are very stunning young ladies, Moore and the other actress, one is a bit of a player but Jones eventually finds his love.
Customer Reviews:
Elizabeth 1 comes to Life in this Wonderful Documentary.......2007-07-09
I caught this and King Henry V111 six wives on ABC in 2004 and I was pleased to able to find the DVD of this wonderful production.
David Starkey does a excellent job as always in bring this wonderful Queen of England in the 16th Century to life.
You get to see and hear the Straggles that Elizabeth went through in order to gain the crown.
The actors used in the documentary all do the production justice.
I would Recommend this DVD to anyone who loves history or/and want to learn more about Tutor England.
The DVD itself is of a high Quality. Clear sharp pictures and sound. Well worth the price.
Excellent.......2005-03-17
This is TV historical biography at it's best. David Starkey is authoratative and entertaining, his enthusiasm shining through.
At this price it is an absolute bargain and highly recommended.
Well done Dr Starkey!.......2004-08-06
I must have watched this documentary every time it came on the television, so I was delighted when it came out on DVD. The highlight of last summer was reading his book 'Elizabeth' and this DVD is just as good! The cast is fantastic, did a really good job but it wouldn't have had the same effect if Dr Starkey himself had not appeared in it. Starkey is an amazing historian and is a master story teller. You are guided through the whole DVD by him, he is a perfectionist and doesn't miss out a single detail. The most comforting thing though,is that you can see by his facial experssions and the tone of his voice that he truly does love his work!The success of a documentary such as this depends on the historian and because of that this one really couldn't fail!
Customer Reviews:
A great Biography.......2007-10-06
Helen Mirren gives a fantastic performance as the unmarried English ruler. She seemed to get the queen's personality down. I felt as if I was getting a look back at history. Hard to believe such a high quality production was created for TV. You see what it takes to be a great, if not lonely, monarch. You do have to close your eyes to a few historical liberties, such as the Queen visiting her cousin in her prison cell. The movie does have a slow start, but stick with it, it picks up. Some of the scenes are very violent and graphic, so beware of that. The reason to see this movie is too watch how Ms. Mirren portrays Queen Elizabeth I. Worth the viewing time.
Customer Reviews:
I Wish I Hadn't Watched YOU!.......2007-10-13
This flick is seriously dodgy! It's supposed to be a horror but it's more like a softcore porn film! As for a vampire film?? I don't think so! These 'vampires' walk around in the daytime (under full sun) caring more about their hair and partying than their next grizzly meal. I think they've tried to come up with a new age idea for a different sort of vampire but it's just lame. The most shocking thing about this film is the acting, surprisingly enough. And as for the ending...they had to shake the camera around for the grand finale to disguise the fact the actors couldn't fall to the ground and die convincingly enough! Pathetic!
Blood Brother Eternity Fraternity.......2007-04-15
This amazing movie reinvents vampires as a college fraternity; a sort of 'Blood Brother Eternity Fraternity' - and they are looking for new members ... well, one new member, and wouldn't you believe it, the one guy on campus who is not interested.
I won't spoil the plot (not that there's a lot to spoil), but it's worth knowing that the promise held out to Our Hero is not only eternal life, but endless years repeating the college experience. Sounds like hell to me, but what do I know? Highlights of this form of vampiricism include sucking blood from the forearms of drunken females. and unspecified pleasures from the Love That dare Not Speak Its Name; yes, this film shouts Gay Thrills - but never quite has the guts to admit it. Weird.
If you are female, you may relate to the erotic experience of having blood sucked from your forearms. No? Go tell these actresses; they studied at the 'When Harry Met Sally' school of acting.
The first hour of this movie is slowish; visualize 'Animal House', without the jokes. The final quarter hour warms up significantly, but the ending is a little predictable, and over so fast that you can imagine the sequel being plotted in a Frat House near you ....
Bad is not always good.......2004-02-07
Let me say that I like bad films, sometimes bad can be so bad it is good - take Ed Wood, who has at least a discernable charm.
Let me expand on that - I like bad vampire films. A bad vampire film has even more charm, take the wonderous films of Jess Franco or even Razor Blade Smile. These films have a charm all their own, and makes them worth watching despite themselves.
This film has no discernable charm, there seems to be the least acting talent I've ever seen in a film. There is a story - just - it is just not interesting.
This is the worst film I ever had the misfortune to watch, I could find no saving grace within it - and I found saving graces in Vampire Killer Barbies. One to avoid.
very low budget............ but still entertaining.......2003-10-29
A very wierd film. It's says it's about vampires, so i expected a vampire flick. But it's not, it's about an ancient society who drink blood but don't have fangs or anything, they use pins. It's not very scary and it's obviously all done in a studio. Why is there a thunder storm every night even when it's sunny in the day! The acting's bearable and there are some tense scenes. It's entertaining enough, but the ending lets it down.
Kind of like a long episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with no Buffy and no real vampires. I recommend you see this film, but it's probably better that you rent it out or lend it.
How bad can be good........2003-02-02
In case you don't know all David DeCoteau are pretty lame and their saving grace is that they are so bad they become in an Ed Wood way classics. The point of this and most (if not all) of David DeCoteau films is to present as much flesh (mainly male) as possible in front of the camera as possible. This follows the standard US horror film ploy of making every character look like they stepped out of a glossy magazine. Even the nerdy sidekick is good looking. The acting is passable at best with the 'hero' Nathan Watkins now acting in US soaps under the name Samuel Page.
The plot (shockingly there is one) is basically vampire wants new body and tries to get one.
Customer Reviews:
Feel Good Gay Movie.......2001-11-26
Light Hearted romantic gay comedy which is both touching and funny in parts. Do not expect too much and you will not be disappointed. An excellent film, much better than other recent films in this genre.
Fantastic, Funny, Whitty & Touching!.......2000-08-01
Wow, we are still in tears. What a great alternative love story. Comedy, drama, romance, great music! Well written and casted, great story line. We were skepticle at first, but as the plot unwound, we were drawn in and even sympathetic towards the two leading men. There are laughs galore and even a few tear jerking moments! There is a delghtful touch added by the character Aunt Alice (Marnie Nixon) {the off screen voice of Eliza Dolittle (My Fair Lady) and Maria (West Side Story)} how great to finally see the woman behind the voice. Are you a romantic? you too will LOVE this film. This brought back tons of College memories. We rate five tissues!
dissapointing.......2000-07-10
the premise is good, the idea is there -- but where is the script? i watched this expecting to actually come away thinking i'd seen a film, but it has no substance, and, it seems, no point. okay, so bob and brendan get together, but was the film worth watching just to find this out? because this is essentially all the film does. The trouble is, this is a gay film trying to pretend it isn't so that it can live in mainstream land, when really it would have done better to be honest about the fact that the two main characters are bob and brendan. instead it gives them too much distance and tries to pretend the other minor characers are as important [for instance, interspersing the scene where they sleep together with what everyone else is doing at he time .this could have worked, if they had made more of a deal out of it, and panned out to what everyone else was doing --slapping soppy music over the top just meshed all the scenes together making them indiscript, and overshadowed the supposed importance of the two of them sleeping together. leaving on the actual sounds and splitting these scenes up would have shown the fact that eric sleeping with the bride's sister, say, did not have nearly the same sinificance as bob and brendan sleeping together.] another of the problems leading to their relationship seeming insignificant is the fact that it is not filmed from either bob or brendan's point of view, or anyone else's for that matter, which distances the viewer from the film and characters quite significantly in this case.Portraying the characters with minor parts in the same way as the main characters only gives the impression that you're pretending their part is actually bigger, and doesn't make for quality viewing [perhaps someone should have informed the writers of this] which leads to the conclusion that it is a gay film for some reason pretending not to be, to very much detrimental effect. and what does it actually show of bob and brendan's relationship anyway, apart from at the beginning? the only part of the film remotely pointing out why brendan loves bob are the college flashbacks at the beginning [where it should be added that his character at least seemed consistant and the love/tension believable] what happened later in the supposed bulk of the film i cannot quite undestand. brendan's interchanging between arrogance one minute and ridiculous vulnerability the next was not only unbelievable and inconsistant, but it doesn't even seem to fit the character in the flashbacks, there are three different brendans in this film, which don't fit together very well at all. -- i don't blame the actor, he seems quite competant at both, but the script writers could have made some more effort. also they failed to show why anybody would love bob. he did not seem in the least bit appealing, to be honest, to anyone, with his insanely unflattering scraped down hair [ very annoying, i found, though this is irrelevant] and incredibly whiny character. the best parts of the film were, firstly the college flashbacks, and secondly, the day of the wedding. things went decidedly downhill from the 'morning after' onwards unfortuanately. an altogether disapointing film. i would only recommend it as a teaching aid on how not to make a film, pointing out all its mistakes.
Beautiful, Romantic, astouning.......2000-07-03
This movie contains the age old predictability of romantic movies these days but carries it off a lot beter. The acting s superb, the script is brilliant. It is a fil that concentrates on a budding gay relationship but avoids the stereo types that many gay movies to their best to exploit.
Great Film........2000-06-20
I think this is one of the better films that i've seen in quite a while, and i've seen quite a few. It was funny, romantic and it had a happy ending. I would say it's a typical romantic comedy and I could be forced into saying that it's a bit predictible but nevertheless it's a good film.
Customer Reviews:
Elizabethan drama, literally..........2006-03-16
This is a very interesting programme, produced in Britain and originally shown on the PBS series, Masterpiece Theatre.
This miniseries was directed by Coky Giedroyc, a veteran of television productions in Britain, including another royal-themed miniseries, 'William and Mary', in 2003. Giedroyc brings an interesting modern twist to the series - rather than filming things in majestic, sweeping camera pans with classical music as a background, and rather than having the dialogue (and acting) be in a stilted, falsely formal style, Giedroyc incorporates modern music with medieval and Celtic flavouring to it (both of which have experienced a renaissance of sorts in the past decade), and the situations are decidedly modern without being out of place in their own times.
This presents the life of Elizabeth from her young adulthood under Queen Mary, as a supposed participant in intrigues against the Catholic Queen, through to her death after serving decades on the throne of England as the Virgin Queen, the queen who never married. In fact, the miniseries plays a tantalising game with Elizabeth's virginity, showing her desires (as well as those around her) without ever giving up the game of 'was she or wasn't she?' Anne-Marie Duff plays the part of Elizabeth, and does a remarkably able job for such a complex figure. Duff won the Irish Television award and was nominated for the BAFTA award for best actress in a television drama in another series, 'Shameless', last year.
Duff is joined by Tom Hardy, who plays the role of Robert Dudley, the favourite of Queen Elizabeth. Dudley is also an extraordinarily complex role, as he played several sides in the political struggles during Elizabeth's early reign, and was part of a family well experienced in regal intrigue - Robert Dudley's family had tried to manage the reign of Elizabeth's brother Edward, engineer the accession of Lady Jane Grey (placing Guildford Dudley on the throne with her), and is sometimes referred to as 'the uncrowned kings of England'. In fact, perhaps the most stunning single scene in this miniseries is after Elizabeth has elevated Robert Dudley to the earldom of Leicester, and during her illness, he sits upon the throne as the protector of the realm. Hardy is well suited to this role, and plays it with skill.
The sets are appropriate to their time period, neither too ornate nor too medieval; the costumes also have a touch of modernity to them, but are still primarily of the period. The situations presented give good insight into the overall pattern of Elizabeth's reign and some of the principal concerns during that time period, although to compress such a long reign into such a short time frame as a four-hour miniseries by necessity means that the history has had to be selectively chosen. Elizabeth faced problems from without and within, many of which were far more complex and pressing than her marriage issue. In the end, Elizabeth made the right decision for the time, if not for the future.
This is a great production for television, and holds up well against other major productions featuring the Virgin Queen Elizabeth of a few years ago.
UK DVD:
- ER: Complete Season 4
- Erin Brockovich [2000]
- Five Easy Pieces [1970]
- Goya's Ghosts [2006]
- Gridiron Gang [2007]
- Hamish MacBeth : Series 1-3 (6 Disc Box Set)
- Hamlet (2 Disc Special Edition)
- Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire [2005]
- Henry VIII [2003]
- Howards End [1992]
UK DVD List
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The Virgin Queen
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Henry VIII [2003]
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Gunpowder, Treason And Plot [2004]
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Lady Jane [1985]
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Charles II [2003]
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