BOTTOM LINE: Good film about Elizabeth's adult life, but focusing too much on the Queen's melodramas.

THE GOOD: The film delivers a fair account of the internal psychology of being a Monarch. The film delves in to the personal life of the Queen and offers a very human side to her; at times, she denies herself the simple pleasures of life to ensure she can carry out her duty as Queen (suggesting at one point that her close matron of the Court, Beth, be allowed to sample these pleasures for her). Cate delivers a brilliant performance as Queen Elizabeth, showing us a very strong, yet vulnerable monarch. Supporting players such as Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen and Abbie Cornish are excellent. Period pieces often have the chance to show off production and costume design and this film succeeds extremely well in these departments. The film doesn't drag, with some solid acting, dramatisation, and cinematography. The music score was good.

THE BAD: This film deserves the 3-hour epic, full widescreen treatment. There were moments in the film where you feel it's about to break out and deliver the cinematic impact you're expecting, particularly with the impending battle with the Spanish armada, but the film chooses to return to Elizabeth and her personal life/problems. Not that spending time on the latter is a bag thing (and in fact is necessary even though it stoops in to melodrama), but the scope of the film seems diminished by focusing too much on her personal melodramas rather than her accomplishments as the Queen of England. As such, the storyline with Phillip of Spain almost comes across as an afterthought; he just pops up enough times to give the appearance of a threat, but not enough to make any kind of impact on the narrative. And being set in 1585, Elizabeth is historically meant to be 52 years old, yet Cate, lovely as she is, appears much younger than that!