In the business of trying to sell a film to the public, a long and expensive series of trailers is a bit of a gambit. The same trailer over and over again for half a year tends to make me lose faith in the final project. If it’s good, the trailer should speak for itself and the studio shouldn’t have to sell it so hard. In cases such as these, the studio probably knows what their selling isn’t all that good but if they can reach enough people through a brute-force ad campaign then they might be able to break even or make a little money before word gets around. Mary Queen of Scots was plainly one of the more hyped films of 2018 but hype can only get you so far.
Based on the book “Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart” by John Guy, this movie is unfortunately pretty boring. The overwhelming majority is a political cat-and-mouse game, not to say it’s uninteresting, but first-time director Josie Rourke had a tough time boiling this story down to the key elements. Her theater background simply didn’t translate well in this instance. Had this been a stage performance the two prominent leads would have probably been compelling enough to hold serve. The story she presented is more appropriately paced for a four-part miniseries, where background and historical significance can be given properly attributed context. This story unfolds over the course of 25-years but the span isn’t well actualized and, as a result, loses some of that magic that a truly epic period piece needs to have. Rourke did curate several strong performances from her cast and approached the telling of this journey with a singular focus. It was a good first effort that was perhaps a bit too ambitious.
Many films have been saved, or at the very least elevated, by strong performances and this is absolutely one of those cases. Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie were undoubtedly the main sales pitch and they certainly didn’t disappoint. Without these two exceptional ladies leading the way, this movie would have been on nobody’s radar. Over the past few years, Ronan has found her footing as a compelling lead actress and she handled this role as Mary Stuart with tremendous poise and grace while still showcasing all the vulnerability of a young woman thrust into power. More than anything, she showcased Stuart’s incredible political savvy and abundant intelligence. At only 25-years-old, the talented young actress already has three Oscar nominations under her belt and this performance puts her in position to get yet another.
Every good hero requires a worthy adversary and Robbie was more than up to the task as Queen Elizabeth I. In many ways, she was the more interesting of the two but there have been plenty of films made about her already. This was a precarious character to play since Elizabeth was a seasoned monarch with a decided edge in experience but lacked charisma. Robbie isn’t one to back down from a challenge and she delivered some of her best work here. She’s shown the ability to have transformative portrayals that aren’t contingent on her looks and her talent is far more substantial than many have given her credit for. Her dynamic versatility has made her one of the hottest commodities in Hollywood and you can see her in a number of upcoming projects from Quentin Tarantino’s latest to the upcoming Barbie movie.
The trailer suggests a friendship that became a rivalry…that didn’t happen. It’s a bait-and-switch and the story we get is more about political maneuvering and glad-handing than a competition. Thematically, this is a story of two women trying to hold positions of power in a completely male-dominated world. Screenwriter Beau Willimon didn’t hide that fact, writing every male character to exhibit the worst possible traits, and the dialogue is robust and painstaking as a result. Not only that, the story is historically inaccurate and does more to serve the needs of Willimon than pay proper respect to Mary Stuart. Creative license is expected and can be more easily forgiven if the changes are made for the sake of entertainment but that certainly wasn’t the case here. Character building was at a minimum and there is a fine line when it comes to talking a lot but saying nothing. There’s a glaring lack of strong supporting characters here as well, a problem that starts with the script but was evident in the direction as well.
Guy Pearce was a nice addition to an otherwise underwhelming cast, serving as Queen Elizabeth’s right hand. He provided some much-needed depth but is never really the villain he could have been. On the other side, Jack Lowden was good as Henry Darnley who strategically weds Mary in order to fulfill some personal ambition. These were both good performances that just felt somewhat misguided.
The film certainly had the potential to be a period epic. Max Richter composed a beautifully subtle and emotionally intelligent original score to accompany the visual presentation, both of which were stronger aspects of the film. There is a seemingly endless supply of stunning cinematography by John Mathieson that captures the majesty of the Scottish countryside but even that gets redundant at some point and feels like a crutch to provide grandiosity to the otherwise monotonous proceedings. Alexandra Byrne crafted some wonderful costumes, especially for Elizabeth, to punctuate the authenticity of the period and highlight the differences between Scottish and English nobility. The battle within the war between the two queens had to be the dueling hairstyles. Reverse engineered from old portrait paintings, the hair design had its own architecture and the hair and makeup team are certainly the unsung heroes on set.
Braveheart is a widely loved period epic known to be a historically inaccurate depiction of Scottish history. It won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. This wasn’t Braveheart. What Mary Queen of Scots lacked wasn’t some technical shortcoming, it was entertainment value. There’s a reason it only made back $15-million of its estimated $25-million budget. When push comes to shove, the audience wants to get their money’s worth and this is a tough sell.
Recommendation: If you’re a fan of these actresses, the performances are worth the time but you may want to save your money and catch this later. The same could be said for those looking to wrap up the notable films of 2018 but, outside of the cinematography, there isn’t much need to find this in theaters.