A Reel Review: MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS

Even though the real-life story of Mary, the Queen of Scots played out on one of the biggest stages and conflicts in the 16^thcentury, her name has often landed underneath her more famous cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. Over the years Hollywood has treated her the same, almost as a footnote while the name Elizabeth earned the attention of Oscar winning actresses. Here in 2018, director Josie Rourke changes things up by bringing Mary up front and center. 

Mary (Saoirse Ronan), is a cousin of the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie), and with the Queen unable to produce an heir, Mary has an opportunity to stake a claim to the throne. 

In today’s parlance, Queen Elizabeth and Mary would be dubbed “frenemies”; two rivals with great respect for each other but both wanting the same thing. In this adaptation, the two only share the screen once, and the rest of that time we see the plotting, executing, and regrouping that the two women do to try and beat the other. Director Josie Rourke, helming her first feature film, takes us through the dense politics of the time, sprinkled with mystery as every character seems to have their own agendas. 

MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS is a talkie of a picture; lots and lots of dialogue with the occasional battle scene or outburst. There is a lot going in the plot, and a road map is nearly required to keep up with who is doing what to whom and why. The film feels like a statement on our times; both women are lied to and betrayed by the men around them, and a preacher (wonderfully played by David Tennant), leads a campaign of misinformation which costs Mary her followers. It’s a thinly veiled look at the state of things today, even though within the movie it works. 

Rourke films a beautiful looking movie and it is awesome to see on the big screen; from the vast Scottish and British landscapes to the darkness of bed-chambers and dungeons…she has a great eye for filling her frames. Editing is a little all over the place; odd cutaways happen at the wrong times, and for a dialogue-heavy film, it could have used a bit more energy and momentum. In the third act, the film has a time-jump of about 20 years, and they don’t bother to age-up Mary at all; an odd choice that is misleading for viewers. Max Richter’s score is excellent. 

Acting is very good. Saoirse Ronan goes through a lot as Mary, dealing with two marriages that end badly, staying strong in battle, and watching those that she loves die before her eyes. Margot Robbie is buried under a little too much prosthetics and makeup, as this is probably the most realistic version of Queen Elizabeth I we’ve ever seen, but she acts her way through it just fine. The rest of the cast, which includes David Tennant and Guy Pearce…all very good. 

At 125 minutes and not much action, MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS can be a grind to get through. Those familiar with the story of the real-life Mary will know how it all ends, but for the first time we get to see the person behind that name. It’s a very political and dry film, but a worthwhile look at an often-forgotten figure in history. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it