ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS (1969)

Definitely obvious as a late 1960s production, this film tries very very hard to portray Anne Boleyn as a sympathetic character.  The costuming is interesting, being an earlier Tudor look than is often presented, but definitely is Hollywood-ized.

See photos at TudorPlace, On-Z.dk, geekculture.dk, and Cyfra+ (click on the numbered links under "Fotogaleria").

My rating:  2 (out of 5)

DANGEROUS BEAUTY (1998)

A lot of people LOVE this movie, and I went into the theater hoping to do the same... but just didn't.  It's a pretty melodramatic, soap opera-y look at a courtesan's life in 16th century Venice.  I will point out that Rufus Sewall (the main love interest) is a total hottie.  This period isn't my area of expertise, and the costumes look good but a bit romanticized.

Edited to add:  After joining a performance troupe portraying Venetian courtesans, I can now say:  the movie works for me more these days as shlocky entertainment.  However, the costumes are egregiously not one bit period.  The non-courtesan wear is okay, although it looks more like the Spanish style (which wasn't heavily worn in Venice at the time) as opposed to the very distinct Venetian style.  The courtesan dresses, however, are pure fantasy -- courtesans dressed exactly like noblewomen (in fact, many Venetians complained that you couldn't tell the two apart!).

See photos at MoiraKelly.net, Images of Rufus Sewall, and a fan page.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

ELIZABETH (1998)

There has been a lot of discussion around this movie.  Points of contention:  the movie plays fast and loose with historical characters and facts (PLEASE don't watch this for factual information about Elizabeth's life!), and the costumes are Elizabethan-esque (the costumer was told by the director specifically not to use any reference material).  However, I will say in its defense:  I think the director (Shekhar Kapur) succeeded in making Elizabeth's character understandable to a modern audience, and Cate Blanchett is just fabulous (both in looks and in her amazing acting talent) at inhabiting the role of Queen Elizabeth.

See photos at the Costumer's Guide to Movie Costumes, Fanny Ardant online, cateblanchett.net,  Eras of Elegance, and FIDM.

For an even longer review, check out our Frock Flicks podcast on Elizabeth.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE (2007)

On the one hand, I completely enjoyed it. Why? Because I love seeing historical eras brought to life in front of me, and I particularly love Elizabeth I. You can quibble with me, but wow, does Cate Blanchett inhabit that role. She brings an amazing range of emotions to the character - regal, imperious, enticing, courageous, but also doubting, conflicted, hemmed in. Plus, I love her look - altho it's not (obv.) exactly EI's same face, I love that she has a sort of handsomeness, rather than pretty (which EI was certainly not). I could watch her all day! Watching her emote as EI gave me chills in a couple of places - when she tells the Spanish ambassador that she has a hurricane in her that will strip Spain bare, and the Tilbury speech (well, the "adapted" version that the screenwriters came up with).

I thought this film did a better job with locations than Elizabeth (1998) - not everything looked like it was taking place in a cathedral. Plus Clive Owen (le SIGH!) worked for me so much more than whiny Joesph Fiennes (who got no pitter pat from me).

What didn't work? Let's start with Mary Queen of Scots (an historical figure who I have no patience for - the woman was a ninny). Weird casting of tiny, interesting-looking Samantha Morton in the role of a 6' (yay!) gorgeous queen. As soon as she busted out with a Scottish accent (yes, I know that's what the average mall-goer would expect, but hi, she was raised for most of her life in France) I started giggling. And WTF WAS SHE WEARING? I swear to god, wow. Most of the film she's in this embroidered blue taffeta dress that has cording/ropes sewn into the skirt (no, not a corded petticoat - the skirt itself is corded). Reminded me of that early Spanish painting of a woman in a corded skirt (which is from about 60 years earlier). And her hair! Her hair! But the best was when she went to be beheaded - she shows up in a very symbolic black cape, with her hair suddenly done all period-like; then she takes off her symbolic black cape to reveal her Symbolic Red Dress which was some kind of weird, bastard, Ren Faire "Hey Look Ma It's Sorta Ye Olde Timey!" gathered chemise dress with off-the-shoulder neckline (I swear there was elastic in that neckline). WTF, I ask you?

Other costumes were okay. For some reason, all the white dresses on Elizabeth worked for me; I loved the fabric in her green with envy dress. And OH MY GOD, they had her in a really great version of the effigy corset (the corset made for her effigy in the very early 17th c. [she died in 1603]). And Cate looked FAAABULOUS in her Armor (altho I doubt she really wore something of that nature? You tell me).

But the rest of the dresses - eh. Oh sure, they were all sumptuous, and they ranged from kinda-period to not-at-all period. But since it didn't appear that they varied from period styles for an actual artistic reason, why not put everyone in actual period styles? I can accept changes for artistic reasons (see: Marie Antoinette). But if you don't have a point, then why bother? And I don't buy this whole "treat it like science fiction" thing from director Kapur; if it's science fiction, why aren't they running around in unitards? Oh, the feathers - very distracting, very silly.

Other things that bugged me included the comically villainous, Catholicism-screwed-me-up! King Philip; Sir Walter Raleigh's manly heroics against the Armada; the rewriting of the Armada battle (no, the English didn't burn all their ships; they burned one ship, the Spanish panicked and pulled up anchor, went over towards Ireland where a hurricane hit them and scattered them) - although the Armada battle as depicted (sorry if I've missed the official name) did make for exciting cinema. More giggles from Bess Throckmorton running around castles/town at night with her hair down and a cape and Raleigh scolding Elizabeth when she yells at Bess. The English Catholics plot, which just felt heavy handed and very School of Bad Acting.

But - and these are big buts! For me, seeing Elizabeth and the period brought to the screen was fabulous. Seeing Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth was even more fabulous. Any chance to stare at Clive Owen's manly manliness is fabulous. I was entertained, I'll probably see it again on the big screen, and I'll probably buy the DVD. Scorn me if you will!

See photos at the Costumer's Guide to Movie Costumes.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

EVER AFTER (1998)

I liked this movie but didn't love it.  A very cute retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale, complete with pretty Italian Renaissance-esque costumes.

See photos at EverAfterCostumes.com, IMDB, the official site, Eras of Elegance, and FIDM.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

HENRY VIII (2003)

Unfortunately I forgot to review this movie right after viewing it, so my memory is a little fuzzy... What I do remember is that while it was relatively fast and loose with the specific history, I had a great time watching it on a totally shlocky, salacious level.  As I recall the costumes were pretty if not terribly accurate.  Sorry!  Fuzzy review!

Edited to add:  I just rewatched this, and confirm that the plot is only semi-factual, and the costumes are complete fantasy.  A few of the gowns looked okay (especially Jane Seymour's), but Anne Boleyn's were total schlock and most of the other women were equally made up.  The hair was particularly bad, with most of the lead actresses running around with their hair down.

See photos at a Ray Winstone fan site and TudorPlace.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

A KNIGHT'S TALE (2001)

Alright, alright -- I'll see any shlock fest that purports to be historical!  A TOTALLY modernized film, with punk/medieval/fantasy costumes.  Only SLIGHTLY mildly entertaining.

See photos at IMDB and FIDM.

My rating:  1 (out of 5)

LADY JANE (1986)

I was one of the many who LOVED this movie when I was, oh, 14 or so, so was all excited when they recently released it on DVD.  Unfortunately time has not served this film well, and it definitely reads now as a bit cheesy and melodramatic.  The filmmakers have reshaped Lady Jane Grey's life to fit a more classic love story plot (she and her husband Guilford NEVER liked each other one bit, and she NEVER wanted -- at any point -- to be on the throne).  The costumes are quite well done (early Tudor period), except that many of Helena Bonham Carter's bodices seem a bit too long and like to ride up under her armpits.

See photos at Eras of Elegance and TudorPlace.

My rating:  2 (out of 5)

LION IN WINTER (1968)

The classic -- see it more for the witty repartee between Katharine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole than for the costumes.

See photos at IMDB.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

MAD LOVE (2001)

[Released as Juana la Loca in Spain]  I've always been fascinated by Juana La Loca ("Juana the Crazy"), sister of Catherine of Aragon, who married the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and subsequently went insane out of love/jealousy.  That might explain why I was slightly disappointed by this movie, which didn't (I felt) adequately portray Ferdinand's emotional abuse of Juana or her (obviously hereditary) insanity.  This isn't my period, but the costumes looked good.  In Spanish.

See photos at IMDB and the official site (click on Gallery).

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

MISTS OF AVALON (2001)

I LOVED this book.  I've probably read it at least 20 times, so I was SO excited to hear about this miniseries with such a fabulous cast as Julianna Margulies, Anjelica Huston, Joan Allen, and Samantha Mathis.  However, I literally only made it through half of this film -- it was so lackluster that I didn't even care to see the second half, and that's saying something!  I'm probably biased in that I always pictured Helena Bonham Carter as Morgaine.  I can't even remember anything about the costumes, and again, that's saying something.

See photos at Two Evil Monks Guides and a fan site.

My rating:  1 (out of 5)

THE NEW WORLD (2005)

Really, really beautiful film about Pocahontas and the Jamestown settlement (first years of the 1600s) in what would later become the United States.  Colin Farrell is Capt. John Smith, who wasn't fabulous but wasn't as annoying as I thought he would be. The story if first told from his point of view as the English land in the Americas and he meets Pocahontas, then switches tack in the second half to focus on Pocahontas's experiences.  Director Terrence Malick is known for his beautiful cinematography and languid pacing, all of which were used to wonderful effect in this film.  Although bits of the story were romanticized (they played up the romantic love triangle), and I'm sure there were inaccuracies, the film really portrays the beauty of the "new world" and its indigenous inhabitants.  I know little to nothing about Native American attire of that era or region, so can't comment there; the English settlers looked pretty darn tootin' well done.  At the end of the film Pocahontas visits England; her court costume is stunning and looked very faithful to the portrait of her, her other English-style dresses were very pretty but about 40-50 years out of date (plus they looked like they were designed by the same person who did the Cate Blanchett version of Elizabeth!).

See photos at OutNow and the official site (click on About the Film).

My rating:  5 (out of 5)

ORLANDO (1992)

A beautiful film that suffers a bit from a story that doesn't translate terribly well to film.  The story spans four centuries, from the Elizabethan era to the present day.  The costumes are absolutely breathtaking -- I would happily kill for the title character's white sack-back gown with huuuuuge paniers.

See photos at a fan site.

My rating:  2 (out of 5)

A so-so adaptation of a shlocky yet entertaining novel, this film tells the "story" of Anne and Mary Boleyn.  Although she's a great actress, I felt Natasha McElhone was miscast as Mary -- she just didn't seem like the character in the book.  Jodhi May gives a compelling portrayal of Anne, although the character as written in the novel & film doesn't quite mesh with the historical reality.  The costuming wasn't hideous, but it wasn't accurate at all -- seeing the main female characters running around with their long hair down under their hoods drove me crazy!  Worth watching if you're a completionist like me, or if you liked the book.

See photos at the BBC.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Surprisingly, I really liked this! Yes, it fudges the history a bit to a lot; yes, some of the costumes are ridiculous (the circle dresses, the print morning-after-marriage robes), and yes the fit is off on some of the costumes (especially the gable hoods and poor Catherine of Aragon's costumes). And Scarlett Johannson sort of wanders through the movie, mouth breathing. But Natalie Portman as Anne was really quite good, many of the costumes were pretty and not horribly inaccurate, and Eric Bana's costumes were faaaabulous. It's good, shlocky entertainment!

See photos at the Costumers Guide to Movie Costumes.

For an even longer review, check out our Frock Flicks podcast on The Other Boleyn Girl.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

QUEEN MARGOT (1994)

[Released as La Reine Margot in France]  A gorgeously dark movie set in 1570s France, telling the story of Margot of Valois and the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre.  Isabelle Adjani is, as always, gorgeous and mesmerizing as the title character.  The costuming is beautiful if a bit theatrical -- lots of off-the-shoulder dresses etc.  In French.

See photos at the Vincent Perez archive, IsabelleAdjani.net, and DVD Times.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1998)

Another movie I tried to love but only liked, mostly because Gwyneth Paltrow has an amazing capacity to irritate me in some films (and in others I adore her).  It is, however, fun, romantic, and funny.  The costumes were quite well done, with Judi Dench as an amazing Queen Elizabeth -- the only bad note was Gwynnie's really weird bad perm hair extensions.

See photos at the Costumer's Guide to Movie Costumes, IMDB, Toby's Film Stills, Eras of Elegance, and FIDM (and here).

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

SNOW WHITE: A TALE OF TERROR (1997)

It's an interesting proposition: take the classic Grimm fairytale but go back to its horror roots, put good actors like Sigourney Weaver and Sam Neill in starring roles, and go for a semi-authentic medieval look.  Parts of it work, especially the early stages as they set up the story (new beautiful step-mother in town).  Unfortunately, they fall into the classic fairy tale trap of not giving our heroine -- Lilliana/Snow White -- much to do (in fact, she never seems to figure out that her step-mother is the source of the problem, until somehow she just KNOWS).  Weird attempts at romance with Gil Bellows as a nice bandit, and a TERRIBLE wig on his competition (Gutenberg), plus not enough extras (definitely reads as a made for TV movie).  Some of the costuming is actually really good!  Although I am by no means an expert in this area, Lilliana's nurse wears what looks to me like Really Really Good lower middle class German mid-1500s attire.  And Sigourney Weaver's costumes are pretty and suit her character.  But they put Lilliana into weird pseudo-medieval outfits and Sam Neill just looks dorky.  I would only watch it for free on cable, and then only if I didn't have something else to watch.

See photos at the Official Sam Neill Homepage, and Monica-Keena.com (and again).

My rating: 2 (out of 5)

TRISTAN & ISOLDE (2006)

Oh, the let down.  The story of the doomed love of Tristan and Isolde; he's English, she's Irish, they're enchanted to fall in love with each other and it ends badly.  Except this film is trying for the "gritty realistic" approach of King Arthur and takes away the magic.  Sophia Myles is, as always, fabulous as Isolde; Rufus Sewall is quite good (and still hot) as Lord Marke; the usually cute James Franco is miscast as Tristan (his main method of emoting seems to be furrowing his brow and speaking like he has new veneers on his teeth).  And, sadly, the script gets pretty trite; that combined with Mr. Franco made it all feel very high school.  I know nothing about costumes from this period, so all I can say that they were very pretty (for mostly being nubby linen/wool type numbers).

See photos at Absolutely Sophia Myles, IMDB, the official site (click on Image Gallery), and Aranel's Costumes.

My rating:  2 (out of 5)

THE VIRGIN QUEEN (2005)

I really really really liked this BBC miniseries.  Really!  Anne-Marie Duff is one of my favorite costume movie actresses, and she's now up there with Cate Blanchett for really inhabiting the character of Elizabeth I.  While I'm sure the plot has some historical inaccuracies, I'm someone who's read about 5 or so bios of Eliz. I and nothing really jumped out at me as being So Wrong.  The film spans her life from young girlhood to old age (STUNNING old age makeup), and the actor who plays Darnley was quite yummy.  The costumes definitely have a modernized tinge to them, but they were still based on correct silhouettes and were really really pretty.

See photos at the BBC.

My rating:  5 (out of 5)