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BaftaBaby 
"Always entranced by cinema."
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 Posted - 11/07/2007 : 20:18:24
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Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Hold these thoughts:
*Historical data do not a drama make
*Loud music cannot cover up structural sins and uninspired dialogue
*Drama needs to be dramatic not tedious
*Wonderful actors sometimes flock together in bad films
*Show-off 'advertising-style' direction just seems pretentious when
used to enlighten and encapsulate an era
* And, if you wanna be nasty - perhaps once an accountant,
always an accountant
Verdict: tedium with wigs
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Edited by - BaftaBaby on 11/07/2007 20:44:14 |
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Downtown 
"Welcome back, Billy Buck"
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Posted - 11/07/2007 : 21:58:40
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I liked it. It's not Oscar material, but as a fan of period pieces I found it entertaining.
I'm just happy this movie was actually made even if it wasn't great, because virtually every account of Elizabeth's reign pretty much tells the story we got in the first one: how she came to power, the political/religious climate at that exact moment, and how and why she ended up "married to England." Then, the stories usually just stop there, and inform us that she "ruled for another 40 years and it was the Golden Age of England," but don't tell us anything about what happened during those 40 years.
I also thought it was funny seeing Philip constantly calling her a "whore" and ranting about how she was going to hell, considering that he was really just a jilted lover.
I wonder how many Catholics converted after the Spanish Armada was smashed against the coast? It must have really seemed as if it was God's will. |
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ChocolateLady 
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 11/08/2007 : 06:47:21
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Oh, pooh! While I'm not thrilled with Blanchett, I love Clive Owen. I was hoping that this movie would redeem Cate for me after her horrendous portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator.
(I'll probably want to see it for Clive anyway.)
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BaftaBaby
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 11/08/2007 : 07:20:35
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quote:
Originally posted by ChocolateLady
Oh, pooh! While I'm not thrilled with Blanchett, I love Clive Owen. I was hoping that this movie would redeem Cate for me after her horrendous portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator.
(I'll probably want to see it for Clive anyway.)
Clive is definitely eye candy. There's a blink-and-you-miss it shot of him leaning against the rigging that's everso like that iconic shot of Errol Flynn!
Look, go see it - as Greatriots implies there's spectacle. But woe betide anyone who thinks this is genuine history.
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ChocolateLady
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 11/08/2007 : 07:48:17
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quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
quote:
Originally posted by ChocolateLady
Oh, pooh! While I'm not thrilled with Blanchett, I love Clive Owen. I was hoping that this movie would redeem Cate for me after her horrendous portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator.
(I'll probably want to see it for Clive anyway.)
Clive is definitely eye candy. There's a blink-and-you-miss it shot of him leaning against the rigging that's everso like that iconic shot of Errol Flynn!
Look, go see it - as Greatriots implies there's spectacle. But woe betide anyone who thinks this is genuine history.
You don't have to twist my arm to see Clive Owen, so okay. But you know, if I want genuine history of QEI, I'll rent the TV series with Glenda Jackson. They say that it is so accurate there are history classes that actually use that series to teach the period.
(You know, I wouldn't mind owing that on DVD, come to think of it.)
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Salopian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 11/08/2007 : 09:15:08
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Clive Owen has never looked hotter than in this. Quite amazing.
I enjoyed it but the Armada stuff does not slot in well. The sea battle just is not engaging for some reason. And where was the interrupted bowls match?
Did Mary, Queen of Scots have a Scottish accent (here) or a French one (Helen Mirren's television adaptation)?! And I understand the correct pronunciation of Raleigh to be "Rawly' rather than "Rahly". |
Edited by - Salopian on 11/08/2007 13:09:12 |
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ChocolateLady
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 11/08/2007 : 13:06:25
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quote:
Originally posted by Sal8pian
Clive Owen has never looked hotter than in this. Quite amazing.
I'm sold!
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Salopian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 11/08/2007 : 13:10:05
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| I've recently seen Bringing Up Baby, though, and I do think that Blanchett did a good job in The Aviator. |
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turrell 
"Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhh "
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Posted - 11/19/2007 : 23:51:30
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we just got the SAG screener for this, and while I am not sold by the Clive argument, I am looking forward to it. We've got aout 30 movies so far and this is one that we want to see (also got The Kingdom today).
Will post soon with my thoughts |
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Downtown
"Welcome back, Billy Buck"
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Posted - 11/20/2007 : 01:33:14
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quote:
Originally posted by Salopian
Did Mary, Queen of Scots have a Scottish accent (here) or a French one (Helen Mirren's television adaptation)?! And I understand the correct pronunciation of Raleigh to be "Rawly' rather than "Rahly".
I'm going strictly by memory from several weeks ago...and I'm an American that while better than most, certainly isn't an expert in identifying different accents from the British Isles...but I think she actually sounded more English than anything else. Is that a problem? Because Vanessa Redgrave got away with much worse... |
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BaftaBaby
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 11/20/2007 : 09:28:59
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quote:
Originally posted by 10-0
quote:
Originally posted by Salopian
Did Mary, Queen of Scots have a Scottish accent (here) or a French one (Helen Mirren's television adaptation)?! And I understand the correct pronunciation of Raleigh to be "Rawly' rather than "Rahly".
I'm going strictly by memory from several weeks ago...and I'm an American that while better than most, certainly isn't an expert in identifying different accents from the British Isles...but I think she actually sounded more English than anything else. Is that a problem? Because Vanessa Redgrave got away with much worse...
It was definitely a Scottish brogue. Actually she was born in West Lothian, so that's probably accurate. But, hey, I never met her! 
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Salopian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 11/20/2007 : 09:30:48
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quote:
Originally posted by 10-0
quote:
Originally posted by Salopian
Did Mary, Queen of Scots have a Scottish accent (here) or a French one (Helen Mirren's television adaptation)?!
I'm going strictly by memory from several weeks ago...and I'm an American that while better than most, certainly isn't an expert in identifying different accents from the British Isles...but I think she actually sounded more English than anything else.
No, it was definitely supposed to be Scottish here. (She may be an English actress - I don't know - whose accent wavered, but it was definitely Scottish.) |
Edited by - Salopian on 11/20/2007 09:32:52 |
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Salopian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 11/20/2007 : 09:32:27
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quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
It was definitely a Scottish brogue. Actually she was born in West Lothian, so that's probably accurate.
Maybe, but Scottish aristocrats would normally have an R.P. accent, although I'm not sure about that long ago. |
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BaftaBaby
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 11/20/2007 : 14:27:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Salopian
quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
It was definitely a Scottish brogue. Actually she was born in West Lothian, so that's probably accurate.
Maybe, but Scottish aristocrats would normally have an R.P. accent, although I'm not sure about that long ago.
As I said - I never met her! And I just dunno how we'd ever find out. I'm not actually sure there WAS such a thing as RP back then. In any case, I think it was a valid screen choice to aurally distinguish Samantha from Cate to foreign ears. It renders her doubly alien and invokes the whole question of how distant and wild Scotland was then considered.
No smart remarks about Scotland, youse guys --- my late ex-hubby came from there and I consider it to be one of the great places on earth. So there!
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Salopian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 11/20/2007 : 15:00:01
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| Just looked in to it further. She was in France from five to eighteen. I thus find it very unlikely that she had anything other than a French accent, however mild. |
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Downtown
"Welcome back, Billy Buck"
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Posted - 11/20/2007 : 21:08:19
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quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
No smart remarks about Scotland, youse guys --- my late ex-hubby came from there and I consider it to be one of the great places on earth. So there!
I would never consider saying anything unkind about a nation that produces such fine spirits. |
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Elizabeth: The Golden Age
