IMDb listing
CNS/USCCB () review
Los Angeles Times (K. Turan) review
RogerEbert.com (M. Castillo) review
AVClub (J. Hassenger) review
Mary Queen of Scots [2018] (directed by Josie Rourke, screenplay by Beau Willimon based on the book Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart [GR] [WCat] [Amzn] by John Guy [GR] [WCat] [Amzn] [IMDb]) is a reminder to us why monarchy even for the monarchs themselves is really an awful form of government.
Both Mary, Queen of the Scots (played by Saoirse Ronan) and Elizabeth, Queen of England (played by Margot Robbie), cousins, found themselves Queens of their respective Kingdoms by the then roulette of history. Both had plenty of enemies first because of their religion, Mary was nominally (but proudly) Catholic (by birth), Elizabeth was Protestant (not entirely by choice: by the politics of the time, she was much more likely to survive to live to a ripe old age in the England of the time as a Protestant than as a Catholic...), and then because they were women at a time when a Queen would be the Monarch only because ... there were no legitimate (or simply no clear) male heir to the throne. YET, as women, they were BOTH expected to fulfill their fundamental role of providing their Kingdoms with heir. YET to fulfill that fundamental they needed HUSBANDS and (ONE MORE) YET that husband would inevitably start to think (or have people pushing him to think) that HE was supposed to be the MONARCH not the Queen. Elizabeth famously NEVER GOT MARRIED (she found it impossible to really trust ANYONE). Mary, did and a good part of the story here is about the intrigues that followed.
The result is a story that would arguably make the characters of Game of Thrones blush.
Well acted, based largely on actual events (as well as some intriguing / fun "reading between the lines...") I honestly don't have much negative to say about the film except that I'M REALLY REALLY HAPPY (1) to be of NOT of "much consequence," and (2) did not live back then. Good / great job all around!
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