Elizabeth

If I had to pick a woman in history that I have always admired and looked up to, Elizabeth would be the one that has impacted me the most. She was a beacon of femininity and independence in a time that had seen few examples of such defiance.

She was a lover of fashion and theater, and advanced the arts in so many ways through her patronage and suport. For that alone she won my heart.

So when the sequel to the movie Elizabeth released Friday afternoon, I was the first person in Columbus GA seated and ready to see the movie. I rarely go see movies on opening day. For some reason I was jammed in a town with the most ignorant and rude movie-seeing public that could be conjured. I hate trying to listen to dialogue while someone is trying to open their very loud candy wrapper, or is having an in-depth conversation of their own. It drives me nuts that people cannot sit still and shut up for the length of the movie. Talk when the movie is over. Open your candy before the movie starts. Is it too much to ask?? But I digress...

The movie is breathtaking. The costumes were divine. The scene at the battlefield was straight out of a dream. The whole production was lush and the cinematography was pitch-perfect.

The historical accurracy was laughable. At the time of Sir Walter Raleigh and the invasion of the Spanish Armada, Elizabeth was in her mid fifties. There was never any indication of any love affair between her and Raleigh either.

But it ws still a good movie. I think it warrants another watch in fact. The truth is, you are so overwhelmed by the costumes and visuals the first time you watch it, you really won't be able to focus as much on the plot and characters as you might wish to. But on first impression alone I feel it will withstand a closer look. We shall see.