Review of Mary Queen of Scots (2018) by Rose L — 28 Dec 2018

Unfortunately I was really let down by this film, not by the film's fantastic leads, but the script. It felt like such a task to slog through this story, which is not something I thought I'd be saying, especially judging from the excellent trailers. Extremely dull and uneventful, not helpful with a 2 hour runtime. The cinematography is so beautiful, the superb costume design and hair and make-up design, all from past Academy Award winners and I'm sure they will grab some again for their work here.

It's just a shame there isn't much going for this film other than the technical aspects, and the outstanding performances of both Saoirse Ronan as Mary, and Margot Robbie as Queen Elizabeth I. Even then, Margot Robbie has such a small supporting role here, showing up in what felt like a total of 20 minutes, the majority of which took place in the film's final moments. But she gives an impressive performance nonetheless, I just wish there would have been much more for her to do. Saoirse Ronan definitely stole the show though, as expected; she is always phenomenal in these lead roles. If you're a history buff, check this one out and I hope you feel differently about it, otherwise I highly recommend The Favourite as the period piece you catch while you can.