The defence The Prestige Tourist
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
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The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
Drama · History · Romance · 1939
This period drama frames the tumultuous affair between Queen Elizabeth I and the man who would be King of England.
Movie details
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
“Elizabeth I's love for the Earl of Essex threatens to destroy her kingdom.”
1939 Drama · History · Romance 1h 46m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.3 / 10
Community rating
This period drama frames the tumultuous affair between Queen Elizabeth I and the man who would be King of England.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex?
For the defence
The Prestige Tourist
“You like your greatness pre-approved.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Adrenaline Seeker
“If it slows down, you check your phone.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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The Edge of Love
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The Invisible Woman
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In 1857, at the height of his fame and fortune, novelist and social critic Charles Dickens meets and falls in love with teenage stage actress Nelly Ternan. As she becomes the focus of his heart and mind, as well as his muse, painful secrecy is the price both must pay.
The Promise
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Set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, a love triangle develops between Mikael, a brilliant medical student, the beautiful and sophisticated artist Ana, and Chris, a renowned American journalist based in Paris.
Queen Christina
Romance · 1934
Popular monarch Queen Christina of Sweden must choose between love and loyalty to her nation when she unexpectedly falls for a Spanish envoy.
A Journal for Jordan
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Based on the true story of First Sergeant Charles Monroe King, a soldier deployed to Iraq begins to keep a journal of love and advice for his infant son. Back at home, senior New York Times editor Dana Canedy revisits the story of her unlikely, life-altering relationship with King and his enduring devotion to her and their child.
Lady Chatterley's Lover
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After a crippling injury leaves her husband impotent, Lady Chatterly is torn between her love for her husband and her physical desires. With her husband's consent, she seeks out other means of fulfilling her needs.
Prizefighter: The Life of Jem Belcher
History · 2022
At the turn of the 19th century, Pugilism was the sport of kings and a gifted young boxer fought his way to becoming champion of England.
Mary Queen of Scots
Drama · 2018
In 1561, Mary Stuart, widow of the King of France, returns to Scotland, reclaims her rightful throne and menaces the future of Queen Elizabeth I as ruler of England, because she has a legitimate claim to the English throne. Betrayals, rebellions, conspiracies and their own life choices imperil both Queens. They experience the bitter cost of power, until their tragic fate is finally fulfilled.
Julia
Drama · 1977
At the behest of an old and dear friend, playwright Lillian Hellman undertakes a dangerous mission to smuggle funds into Nazi Germany.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Michael Curtiz
Written by
Norman Reilly Raine · Æneas MacKenzie
Bette Davis
Queen Elizabeth
Errol Flynn
The Earl of Essex
Olivia de Havilland
Lady Penelope Gray
Donald Crisp
Francis Bacon
Alan Hale
The Prince of Tyrone
Vincent Price
Sir Walter Raleigh
Henry Stephenson
Lord Burghley
Court is in session
Put The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.