Oscar Talk - Cate Blanchett

So, as of Tuesday morning we know that Cate Blanchett has been Oscar nominated for two of her performances this past year – for her role as Elizabeth I in Elizabeth: The Golden Age (sequel to the 1998 film Elizabeth), and for her role as one of the Bob Dylan incarnations in Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There.

Though I think Blanchett is a very fine actress, I am not bowled over by her nomination for The Golden Age. It’s not that she was bad in that film – it’s simply that she really wasn’t given a great deal of good material to work with. It’s odd – for a film that purports to be about Elizabeth I, The Golden Age spends far too much time with Walter Raleigh and Elizabeth’s maid. In what screen time the film does see fit to devote to the queen, it seems bent on painting her as a love-struck fool – obsessed with keeping Raleigh by her side.



Best to stick with the original 1998 film, which – while certainly not perfect – had a great deal of style and had sense enough to give Blanchett some truly good material. In that film she and the filmmakers create a convincing portrait of a woman newly come into power – at first naïve and uncertain of her abilities, but soon developing into a canny politician and a formidably ruthless leader.



If you’re interested in watching some more good Blanchett material, you might check out the following:

Oscar and Lucinda(1997) – Blanchett’s first big film, though she wouldn’t achieve her true breakthrough in industry terms until Elizabeth the following year. She plays the female half of the eponymous duo, with Ralph Fiennes filling in the role of Oscar. While Fiennes’ performance was too mannered for some, Blanchett impresses as the owner of a glass factory.

Bandits(2001) – Not a great film by any stretch, it can nevertheless be enjoyed as something of a lark for the actors (Billy Bob Thornton, Bruce Willis, and Blanchett) involved. Blanchett seems to be having a grand time playing a woman who winds up taking part in a series of crooked schemes.

The Aviator(2004) – Blanchett played Katharine Hepburn and won an Oscar for her effort. While she looks nothing like Hepburn, Blanchett is never less than convincing. She gets the Great Kate’s speech and mannerisms down and invests her with the sanest voice in the film.