Review of A Royal Affair (2012) by Katherine M — 08 Dec 2012

Well, I guess I'm in the minority here. I thought this movie was visually lovely, but other than that --- unsatisfying, both in story and in acting. The period costumes and sumptuous cinematography are definitely award-winning. The actor portraying the mad (or was he?) king was brilliant and also deserving of an award. Other than that..... blah.

The characters of the doctor and the queen were both pretty boring, their storyline predictable, and both actors were only lukewarm in their performance. The doctor, especially, seemed overdoing it on the "stoic" front. His interpretation of the strong, silent, stoic type just came off as poor acting, and frankly, boring. The queen was pretty (sort of), but dull. I understand that women back then had a lot of barriers placed around them, and I definitely wasn't expecting her to be sword-wielding or anything, but just because a woman is a victim of circumstances doesn't mean she has to be dull and bloodless.

More troubling than anything, I was not able to sympathize with any of the main characters except for the king. The doctor, especially, came off as reprehensible. I mean, he goes and commits adultery with the king's wife, gets her pregnant, and usurps the king's power. All I could think was, "What a jerk!". The queen was only slightly more sympathetic --- at least she seemed to have her motherly instincts in the correct place, even if her other morals were out of whack. I understand that it's tough to be a queen with no choices, married to a crazy guy, and scrutinized by everyone around you, but that doesn't justify putting selfish desires above obligations or, especially, above the good of your country.

I admit I know absolutely nothing about Danish history, but I'm guessing the political and social situations of the time were portrayed in extreme simplification here (All the religious people are evil! All the liberals are good!), and while I understand that the doctor was a student of the Enlightenment, some of his ideas seem overly-Enlightened for the era.

The king, though..... he was a really meaty character. I wish the movie had focused more on him. The best parts were those showing the development of the relationship between the king and the doctor. If that relationship had been the main plot point of the film (and if the doctor had been a better actor . . . better-looking would have helped, too), with the love affair as a side plot, the film would have been much more interesting.

I'd give it a perfect 10 for costumes, set design, and cinematography. But for the overall acting, character development, pacing, and portrayal of period social/political issues, two stars is all I can muster.