Starring: Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, Samantha Morton, Abbie Cornish

The plot: This film picks up where 'Elizabeth' left off galloping through vast swaths of British history and exploring the relationship between Elizabeth and the adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh.

Believe the hype? Blanchett famously missed out on the Oscar for her previous stint as Queen Bess, but she's better than ever as the older, more complex and flawed monarch.