Just as Queen Elizabeth I is at the height of her power in Elizabeth: The Golden Age, so Cate Blanchett became Hollywood royalty after appearing in 1998’s Elizabeth. A portrayal of a woman with the world at her fingertips, The Golden Age stars a woman who has the movie world at hers. Perhaps that’s the reason Blanchett seizes the part with such authority. As a whole, The Golden Age isn’t as focused as its predecessor, yet Blanchett – whose Elizabeth here borders on an otherworldly figure – is fascinating enough to overcome the picture’s shapelessness. She dominates the movie, and rightly so. From returning director Shekhar Kapur and with the addition of Clive Own as Sir Walter Raleigh.
