Elizabeth I

Helen Mirren truly shines as Queen Elizabeth I. All of the cast members are excellent, especially Jeremy Irons and Hugh Dancy.

I do not know how accurate this miniseries is with respect to all of the events that were happening at this time (circa 1589), but the characters were all portrayed in a totally believable and brilliant manner. The costumes were wonderful! Helen Mirren, I believe, gave the performance of a lifetime as the incredibly complex Queen, a daughter of Henry the VIII.

I think this is one of the most intense, brilliant, and wonderful miniseries produced. Sit back and prepared to be swept away to the 16th century. A most memorable miniseries! I rarely give a 10 out of 10 possible points but this miniseries truly is deserving!

I have to say, that this 'TV Film' was 110% better than some major Hollywood blockbusters I have seen.

The atmosphere and intensity of the life of Elizabeth I is portrayed in a gripping and beautiful manner in this TV film, mainly due to the perfect performance by Helen Mirren, I cannot think of a better person to play Elizabeth I, she really got into the queens skin and has gotten into my 'list' of the best actresses, she was fantastic!

Jeremy Irons and Hugh Dancy also gave a great performance, I think all the actors/actresses did!

Although it was a tad gory at times, that did not matter at all as it added to the whole atmosphere.

Anyone who says this wasn't good should be hung, drawn and quartered! A masterpiece, 10/10

Though many a fine actress has essayed the role of Elizabeth I and done so quite successfully, each finding her own vision of the most important queen that ever lived and translating that to film (Cate Blanchette, Bette Davis, Judi Dench, and Glenda Jackson to name but a few), it should come as no surprise that the enormously gifted actress Helen Mirren could show us yet another aspect of Elizabeth.

This Elizabeth is set in her middle fifties, a woman still able to maintain her reputation as the Virgin Queen while settling into various assignations. Here Elizabeth is in love with Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex (Hugh Dancy) while being prepped for a 'proper union' with France's royalty in the form of the Duke of Anjou (Jérémie Covillault). But her 'love life' is only a small yet refreshingly nuanced portion of the long story. Mirren is fortunate to be supported by such fine actors as Jeremy Irons, Patrick Malahide, Toby Jones, Barbara Flynn, Ian McDiarmid, Simon Woods, Diana Kent, and Toby Salaman among the many standout characters.

The visual aspects of the production are some of the more luxurious ever placed on celluloid, with attention to detail in costuming (Mike O'Neill) and sets (Galius Klicius and Leon McCarthy) that are stunning to see. The fine musical score is by Robert Lane and incorporates period music with works written for the piece that stand solidly as classical music compositions. Cinematographers Dmitrij Gribanov and Larry Smith find the right balance between court grandeur and boudoir intimacy. And of course kudos to Director Tom Hooper and writer Nigel Williams! But standing above them all is the brilliance of Helen Mirren's involvement as Elizabeth. She provides us with even more information about the enigmatic queen, allowing us to see both the lusty woman and the brilliant monarch simultaneously. The film is a joy! Highly Recommended.

This is one of the best period dramas I have ever seen...the costumes were amazing, the plot flawless and script clever. It has something for everyone - action, executions, love, scandal and humour. There was not one flawless actor anywhere near the set, and it's not a typical Elizabeth I drama, it shows her emotions as well as her violent executions, whilst still accurately depicting the last part of her life. Hugh Dancy does a great job as the seductive Earl Of Essex and what can you say about Helen Mirren? She portrays Elizabeth wonderfully and I have yet to see someone act it better than her. This one will stay in my good books for a long time - it is not one to be missed!

The story of Elizabeth I's reign is one that has been told so often, you'd think it would be extremely difficult to bring any kind of freshness to it, but damn it all if the producers of this beautifully mounted version from Channel 4 haven't managed to find a way! I'm not familiar with the work of screenwriter Nigel Williams or director Tom Hooper, but I will most definitely be watching for their names in the future. Both have done quality work here; the kind you'd expect from a Merchant/Ivory film or a lavish Hollywood production.

But I daresay that Hollywood should turn green with envy at the production values shown here; everything from the sets to the most minute details of the costuming is top-notch. But where ELIZABETH I really excels is in its casting.

Helen Mirren, in my not so humble opinion, has been sorely deprived of the full measure of accolades she has been due for decades. When someone like Meryl Streep can't sing your praises enough, you have got to be beyond good and Helen most definitely is. Granted, actresses of such renown as Bette Davis, Glenda Jackson and Dame Judi Dench have all brought their unique interpretations to this role, and until now the best of the crop was Cate Blanchett, who showed us a younger and more winsome version of the woman who became known as the Virgin Queen.

But here, Williams' script brings out both the softness and the steel of the woman behind the throne, and Mirren throws herself into the role as if it were her last. Every color of mood is on display here, and I will be completely baffled if she doesn't win so many awards for this role that she'll need help to carry them all.

And matching wit for wit and word for word is another underestimated actor, Jeremy Irons as the Earl of Leichester. Irons has excelled always at anything he plays, be it vile villains or charming rakes, and in the Earl he has found a way to play the best of both worlds - a robust rapscallion not beneath dalliances with other women of the court, but whose heart truly does belong to the one woman who would always be his better, other half...but never his lover or his wife. The intricate dance of endearment and desire between him and Mirren is so wonderful and intense, it's hard to believe that this is their first time working together, and hopefully not the last.

And not enough can be said about the supporting cast, which includes Patrick Malahide as Sir Frances Walsingham (played by Geoffrey Rush in the Cate Blanchett version), Toby Jones as Robert Cecil, the plain-looking but cunningly resourceful son of Lord Burghley and his logical successor, and Ian McDiarmid as William Cecil, a.k.a. Lord Burghley, showing us that there is truly life after the Emperor Palpatine. These trusted advisers were both unerringly defending and covertly condescending of their queen, making damn sure that they did their jobs to the best of their ability, but always subtly reminding her with the arch of an eyebrow or the inflection of a phrase that no matter how regal, "Bess" is still a woman living in a man's world.

And for eye candy, the beautiful Hugh Dancy as the impetuous and headstrong Robert Devereaux, the Earl of Essex. One look at him and it's not difficult to understand why Elizabeth would become involved in an affair with a man half her age. And I say bravo for her good taste! It's to Dancy's credit that the Earl becomes much more than just another pretty face, but a man struggling to establish himself as such while in the grip of Bess's grasp of iron and velvet...a bond he both desires and rebels against, letting his exuberance, ambition, vanity and hot-headed pride ultimately become his undoing. He proves the point that everyone realizes even more so these days as the cult of celebrity holds sway over all: the beautiful people are always the most favored, but with the spoils comes a heavy price.

A word of caution, though: be advised that when it comes to depictions of violence that took place in this period, most other productions 'tastefully' avoided showing too much graphic detail. This version has no such pretensions. The realism of the depictions of the characters extends to the situations which very often warranted the bloody torture and deaths of others, and you will see it all depicted here in full strength, including the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots, which may leave you open-mouthed with its stunning savagery. (The drawing and quartering of Elizabeth's would-be assassins will stick with you as well).

If you are a fan of historical dramas or just really great acting, this is a definite must-see. With programs like CARNIVALE, ROME and DEADWOOD, HBO has long prided itself on presenting outstanding period pieces. It's good to know that the tradition continues, especially when network television continues to deliver such cheesefests as THE TEN COMMANDMENTS remake and call them "good."