This is actually part one of a two-part Masterpiece Theatre production from earlier this year. It is basically just an expanded version of the story we all know (all those who follow Elizabethan England know). I’ve read so many biographies on the woman that I could tell her story without consulting a page.
This telling is well done – much less flashy than the Cate Blanchett film from a few years ago. In this movie our leading lady wears no makeup. In this movie our leading lady has a really high forehead (in fact, in some scenes you can see where the actress actually shaved the very front of her head to get the look). Everyone has bad teeth. Elizabeth isn’t a size two. It’s quite nice actually – a more natural vision of what Elizabethan England was probably like.
My only beef with the mini-series so far is that occasionally the director will veer off into a cinematic free-for-all with the camera, shooting superfluous scenes which are decidedly modern and hint of 1970s filmmaking. It takes me out of the movie and forces me to remember that it’s a MOVIE. I’ll probably get around to watching Part II next week and can put down my final thoughts.