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Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) - Geoffrey Rush

Elizabeth Meets Tyler Perry

By Nancy Kelsey

Two must-see movies hit the big screen this month making this moviegoer eager to see what else comes out in the Fall season of few Hollywood disappointments.

But "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" and "Why Did I Get Married?" were exceptional for very different reasons.

Cate Blanchett was completely captivating in her portrayal of the legendary Queen Elizabeth. She was the reason that every minute of the hour-and-a-half movie was suspenseful to the point where I went through a small bag of popcorn without remembering it. Her performance of the noble though somewhat arrogant Queen Elizabeth I is undeniably Oscar-worthy.

The movie recounts King Philip II of Spain's attempt to overthrow Elizabeth and replace her with Mary Queen of Scots, or Mary Stuart - all in the name of religion. Elizabeth is a Protestant queen portrayed as willing to let her people, Protestant or not, revel in their religious freedom. Now, I'm no historian to be able to gauge accuracy but that paralleled what I consider to be so great about this country. So I came to appreciate and sympathize with our protagonist.

In a climactic heightening of the plot the viewer learns that there is an even more sinister and buried intention behind this plan.

Soon Spain gets its chance to wage a just war against England. Still, this movie goes beyond the naval defeat of the Spanish: It gives the audience a more personalized version of a queen that had always been historically abstract to me. It makes her more like you and me in the stadium seats watching the movie. We learn that she wanted to have a normal love life but sacrificed for the sake of ruling her country.

This movie is great. The music, costumes, plot, themes, setting, everything was applaudable. If I could, I'd personally make Blanchett the four crispy on the outside, doughy on the inside frybreads I am going to award this movie.

Writer and director Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married" was equally worth my time last weekend.

His story focused on the relationships of four married couples with dramatic challenges to their relationships. They are all college buddies meeting up in Colorado for a retreat to focus on strengthening their marriages. Not all of them have happy endings and actually have a few twists in their stories.

The acting in this flick is worthy of praise. Janet Jackson, as a strong authoress, is convincing and admirable. Malik Yoba as her husband is great. The hurdle they overcome in their marriage proves that love conquers all. That may sound very cliche but when you see the movie, you'll know what I mean.

In this movie Tyler Perry proves that he has come a long way from "Diary of a Mad Black Woman."

This is a movie anyone who has been in a relationship can relate to. The audience is sure to find this movie inspirational. And as it delivers a few seemingly guy-aimed punchlines, it makes for a good date movie.

I give this fine piece of work three frybreads.

Nancy Kelsey, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, is studying journalism at the University of Nebraska graduate school in Lincoln. She is a graduate of the Freedom Forum's American Indian Journalism Institute. She interned as a reporter at The Seattle Times last summer. Next summer she'll report for The Associated Press in Boston.