Mary Queen of Scots movie review (2018)

However, the movie is not without its flaws. There are a number of overextended reaction shots to the ladies-in-waiting of both camps, causing unintentionally awkward pauses in the action. In these moments, the ladies don’t do much except stare at the queens as they act out or cry, but why aren’t we watching the queens during these moments? The cynical part of me worries that this may have been a creative choice to emphasize the diversity of the supporting cast, which is great but shouldn’t come at the expense of the movie’s craft. The actors are better served when given something to say or do, like the candid scene when Mary is talking to her ladies-in-waiting about what it’s like to be with a man or when she confronts her fiddler, David Rizzio (Ismael Cruz Córdova), for betraying her.

Poor Margot Robbie is not the fairest queen in the movie. The actress is saddled with a heavy prosthetic nose and pox marks for what may be the least glamorous cinematic interpretation of Elizabeth I. Despite the film’s bid for authenticity, no other extra or supporting character has anywhere near a grizzled visage as Elizabeth, making Robbie’s face an anomaly. Robbie, however, plays the paranoid and tortured queen well, using a tense, nervous energy against Ronan’s cool and cutting performance.

There are many reasons why Elizabeth I’s reign overshadows Mary’s story: Elizabeth avoided taking a husband, which helped cement her power while Mary’s many partners cost her her reputation; Elizabeth also survived the political maneuvering, illness and even her cousin’s attempt to form a rebellion against her while Mary lost many times over in her life. “House of Cards” showrunner Beau Willimon draws out every possible bit of historical intrigue from the saga, shifting power dynamics and backroom deals in his script and giving Mary’s story a faint pop feminist twist. Mary is now the queen who leaned in and lost. The movie becomes a story of two leaders bound by sovereign duty, hindered by their gender, pitted against one another for the crown and want of children. It doesn’t always work, but the film makes for an entertaining argument to reevaluate the legacy of Mary Queen of Scots, beyond the time-worn focus on her tragedy.

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