Mary Queen of Scots is an historical drama starring Saoirse Ronan in the title role and Margot Robbie as her cousin Queen Elizabeth I.
Robbie undergoes the kind of physical transformation that screams ‘We’ve done this because it will win big in awards season’ but unfortunately this film is only 3.5 stars good, not 5 stars good.
There is some chatter about the film not being an accurate reflection of historical events but as someone who spent more time in school history class daydreaming about how hot Luke Perry was than listening to the teacher, that was not of any great concern to me. So in case it’s not obvious, my reflections on this film are based just on how much I enjoyed it and not how accurately it depicts real events.
So did I enjoy it? Yep. Did I enjoy it heaps, to the point I’d suggest you rush out and see it pronto? Nup.
For those who also didn’t listen much in history class, here’s the internet’s version of the plot:
Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary Stuart defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth I. Each young Queen beholds her sister in fear and fascination. Rivals in power and in love, and female regents in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence.
Ronan and Robbie act their socks off and deliver good performances; Ronan especially. Whilst I’m not surprised the film wasn’t nominated for best picture at the Golden Globes, I am surprised she wasn’t nominated for best actress.
The film is getting quite mixed reviews but I reckon this 3.5 star one in Rolling Stone magazine is fair.
Mary Queen of Scots is in cinemas on Thursday 17 January and rated MA15+. Trailer here.