Blanchett Talks Up 'Elizabeth'

Cate Blanchett and helmer Shekhar Kapur chatted with Tudor fans about their latest pic, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" during the Variety screening series Tuesday at the Arclight. “When we were making ‘Elizabeth,’ it wasn't a surefire thing at all," explained Blanchett. "We went in a bit rock n' roll about it. It was really edgy. The fact that it found an audience, we were all thrilled and surprised." This time around, Clive Owen joins the cast as Sir Walter Raleigh, with whom Blanchett becomes romantically entangled. “Once a script began to emerge that had a love triangle at the beginning of it, than I found it interesting," said Blanchett. "Also the backdrop of this film is so epic. But at the center of it was an internal struggle with current and domestic concerns. Individual concerns about the aging process, fertility and attractiveness. I felt she was at war with herself as much as with Spain."  (E. Maxwell)