COSTUME DRAMA
Much of the poignancy of 1998's Elizabeth, which deservedly propelled Blanchett to stardom, derived from the yawning gap between a young Elizabeth I's hopes for her future and the reality viewers knew lay in store for her. In a dreary sequel, England's monarch is middle-aged, single and beset by enemies at home and abroad. Blanchett is still mesmerizing but her film, which flits among politics, romance and battle scenes, is merely majestically dull.
