Elizabeth: The Golden Age takes place almost three decades after the events that crowned the 25-year-old as Queen of England in 1558. The film was released nine years after the success of Elizabeth, director Shekhar Kapur’s bold, Eastern-influenced historical drama about the monarchy and female character, and a lifetime—in years of fame—after Cate Blanchett’s brilliant performance in the original title role cemented her status as one of the brightest stars on the international screen.
This Elizabeth, a Protestant ruler in an age of rising Catholic fundamentalism, faces aggression from a proselytizing Catholic Spanish king (Jordi Mollá) and her own treacherous Catholic cousin, Mary Stuart (Samantha Morton). Drawn to the boldness and passion of the adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen), she accepts the rules of her kingdom that forbid marriage to a commoner and watches with anguish as he falls in love with her favorite lady-in-waiting, Bess (Abbie Cornish). Guided by her astute court advisor, Sir Francis Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush, back for a satisfying masterclass in espionage), she makes tough decisions and delivers great speeches of support.
Excerpt, Entertainment Weekly, October 2007