Mary Queen Of Scots review: Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie play the parts of feuding Queen’s in this handsome period drama bequeathed a modern edge.
Universal
Following Mary Stuart’s (Ronan) return to Scotland to reclaim her throne, Mary Queen of Scots tracks the drawn out conflict between Mary and her cousin, Queen Elizabeth (Robbie) of England. While initially attempting to rule their two countries together in harmony, Mary’s claim on the English Throne itself soon proves too great, leading to betrayal, rebellion, conspiracy and blood-shed.
Josie Rourke, working from a script by House of Cards’ Beau Willimon, clearly has a desire to make this tale of warring Queens more relevant and captivating to younger audiences. That means boiling up the drama, upping the sex appeal as well as dressing up the film with a few touches of theatrics that seem stemmed in Rourke’s theatre background.
The script itself seems largely interested in portraying the two women as individuals whose power could only stretch so far, with their initial good intentions being twisted and disrupted by the arrogance and stubbornness of the men who make up their respective councils. From arranged marriages, to jealous siblings, scorned holy-men and scheming advisors, there are numerous male forces shown to be the major contributing elements that drive the conflict between the cousins towards tragedy, due to their lack of trust in the judgement of the two women who have been placed in power by their birthright.
It is this element of the drama that feels the most intriguing, as the film very much raises the question of how would the relationship have developed if the men behind them had just kept out of it and had faith in the decisions made by their monarchs. It is this element of the drama that feels closer to our times, as sexism towards women in authority is still all too prevalent in a number of areas in our lives today.
While this reflection of our times is played to a more subtle and thought-provoking effect throughout the film, other elements of the drama are articulated in a more direct fashion. This is particularly the case when it comes to articulating the manner in which Mary and Elizabeth’s lives mirror one other, and how Mary seems to be a better version in nearly every aspect.
It is in this aspect that the film ends up more on the side of ridiculous, with many moments of imagery being so on the nose that you can’t help but put your face in your hands. These moments of heavily designed juxtaposing imagery do feel at odds with the more traditional elements of this costume drama, and often distract from the very fine work being done across the cast.
But what a cast it is. With a supporting cast consisting on the likes of Jack Lowden, David Tennant and Guy Pearce, there is nary a bum note across the accomplished performers. But of course, the film belongs to its two very talented actresses. While Robbie has less screen-time than one would perhaps expect, she does great work with a performance that on the surface is one of ice-cold strength, but underneath reveals a great many number of neuroses and insecurities. The film, however, does belong to Ronan, leading the way with an enrapturing performance that commands the most attention from the narrative. It is another exceptionally fine feather in her bow that is just about ready to burst.
Rourke’s first feature is one that clearly revels in the dramatic potential of this well-known moment of history. While some of the more theatrical elements feel very overplayed, there is no doubt that there is a clear passion for telling this story in a way that appeals to a younger audience. It is a handsome, yet frivolous, period drama told through a sharp modern gaze that greatly benefits from a number of strong performances from across its very talented cast.
Mary Queen Of Scots review by Andrew Gaudion, January 2018.
Mary Queen Of Scots is released in cinemas on Friday 18th Jnauary 2019.
