Elizabeth I
By Ed Hulse -- Video Business, 8/14/2006
HBO/Warner, color, two discs, TV-MA, 211 min. plus supplements, fullscreen, Street: Aug. 22, $29.98; First Run: HBO, April 2006
Few monarchs have had their lives and reigns dramatized as frequently as England's "Virgin Queen," portrayed by such outstanding actresses as Flora Robson (who essayed the role three times), Bette Davis, Claudette Colbert, Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. Now Helen Mirren joins that distinguished group with an Emmy-nominated performance in this HBO miniseries, which covers well-trod ground but does so with sufficient flair to make it seem fresh and unmarked. It's the old story of a queen forced to contemplate a politically expedient marriage, putting her duty ahead of her womanly desires. Like her predecessors, Mirren clearly relishes the opportunity to play such a rich character, and she does so impeccably. Hugh Dancy is more than passable as the dashing Lord Essex, and Jeremy Irons makes a suitably sardonic Earl of Leicester. These days, the least challenging aspect of assembling such a production is the art direction; you rarely see period films nowadays that don't pay scrupulous attention to detail. Elizabeth I's sets, costumes and props are all faultless. In fact, all the production values are feature-film quality. The two principal extras, "Making Elizabeth I" and "Uncovering the Real Elizabeth I," don't offer anything terribly unusual. The first is a standard behind-the-scenes featurette, and the second is a mini-documentary along the lines of History Channel fare.
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