Movie Review Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scots (2018) 

Directed by Josie Rourke 

Written by Beau Willimon 

Starring Saorise Ronan, Margot Robbie, Jack Lowden, Joe Alwyn, David Tennant, Guy Pearce

Release Date December 7th, 2018 

Published December 6th, 2018

Mary Queen of Scots is a handsome but mostly forgettable mid-centuries soap opera starring two of our finest working actresses. Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie are incredible performers but there isn’t anything in Mary Queen of Scots that rises to the level of their talents. The film is not bad because Ronan and Robbie are too good for it to be bad but the story is far too thin and the film loses steam quickly given the amount of juice this story appears to have on the surface.

Mary Stuart (Ronan) is a fascinating historical figure. At a very young age, though she was heir to the throne of Scotland, she was forced to flee to France. While there, she married the French King but did not become Queen by marriage, she was 5 at the time she was promised to the 4 year old future King. When the King died young, Mary fled back to Scotland where she was welcomed back as Queen by her brother, the Earl of Moray.

Mary’s return was not welcomed by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie). Ever suspicious, the Queen of England kept a distance from Mary that was as strategic as it was out of fear. The Elizabeth of Mary Queen of Scots appears concerned that Mary’s beauty eclipses her own and that any invitation for comparison between the two could lead to a confrontation over her legitimacy as Queen.

The flames between Mary and Queen Elizabeth were further heated by the growing tension between the Protestants and Catholics. Mary, being a proud Catholic and Elizabeth, a Protestant, each had factions to serve and keep at bay from religious leaders and members of their respective courts. The two maintained correspondence with Elizabeth acknowledging Mary’s desire to ascend to the throne if Elizabeth died but the succession discussion was as political as it was about whom God ordained as royalty.

Eventually, the two would come into more direct conflict when Mary rejected Elizabeth’s suggestion that she marry the Protestant Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, ineffectually portrayed by Joe Alwyn. Mary took things a step further by marrying Catholic and English subject, Lord Darnley, her cousin. That Mary proceeded with the marriage to a family member and English subject without the Queen’s permission was a significant slight.

Eventually, it would be the Protestant and Catholic factions that would be Mary’s undoing but not before we get a baby, a pair of murders, and a rape and finally a beheading. There is a whole lot of drama packed into Mary Queen of Scots but it doesn’t land because, though Mary and Elizabeth are deeply compelling, the men surrounding them wither in comparison. Schemers, toadies, and sycophants, the men of Mary Queen of Scots do little to deepen the drama of Mary Queen of Scots.

The script repeats the same beats in Mary’s life over and over again. She rises to power, she is challenged by a man and defeats him. She rises again, is challenged by a man and out maneuvers him until finally, her luck runs out. The timeline is confusing as well as we jump ahead months and sometimes years at a time with only a few minor visual cues to indicate such a change.

As I mentioned, the production of Mary Queen of Scots is handsome. The costumes look authentic and lavish, the hair and makeup are gorgeous even as they push the bounds of believability for the period, and the sets have a lived-in and worn down quality that suits the period. I have no issues with the presentation of Mary Queen of Scots, I just wish the story had been as involving as the set dressing.

As it is, Mary Queen of Scots is something of a pot boiler but a trifle of one. The film pretends toward seedy exposes and serious costume drama and never settles on which tone it prefers. A love scene between Mary and Lord Darnley prior to their marriage is intended as a moment of sexy excess but comes across as needless and awkward in execution. Rarely is the sex in Mary Queen of Scots anything necessary or titillating, it’s either uncomfortable, criminal or merely problematic.

So if the film isn’t sexy and it isn’t serious enough to rise to the level of the great costume dramas of the past, then just what is Mary Queen of Scots? At its very least, it is a fine showcase for Ronan and Robbie who bite down on their roles with gusto. If the script were better, the male characters more well-rounded as either foes or allies, and if the film’s shifting in time narrative were cleaner and clearer, perhaps Mary Queen of Scots would work. As it is, it’s messy and narratively unsatisfying despite the stars.

Movie Review: The Ides of March

The Ides of March (2011) 

Directed by George Clooney 

Written by George Cloooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon 

Starring Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Paul Giamatti, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright 

Release Date October 7th, 2011 

Published October 6th, 2011 

It's hard to believe that America has ever been more cynical about politics and politicians than we are right now in 2011. The divisions between Democrats and Republicans are at ocean's depth and that division has fed a distrust of government like nothing since the Civil War. Into this angry, cynical fray comes a cynical movie, "The Ides of March," directed by and starring George Clooney, which audiences will either embrace as a cynical sign of the times or reject as a more of the ugly animus that has weighed on us for several cynical years.

Ryan Gosling is the focus of "The Ides of March" playing an up and coming communications specialist named Stephen Meyers. Though only 30 years old, Stephen is a veteran on the campaign trail. Now, he's the second in command on what may be a game changing Presidential campaign. Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) is the candidate the Democrats have been searching for, a Liberal from a prosperous and politically pivotal state, Pennsylvania, with a spotless record and endless charisma. More importantly, Morris's uncompromising convictions are of a kind that inspires even the most jaded politico, like Stephen.

Grasping at a first opportunity to win the right way, in the arena of ideas, Stephen has become a true believer in Governor Morris. Naturally, such blind faith is a dangerous thing. When Stephen discovers the chink in Governor Morris's armor his devastation has shockwaves that reverberate through the whole campaign. Unfortunately, there is an inherent flaw in "The Ides of March" that cannot be escaped. I won't reveal the secret here but it involves a supporting character who preposterously exists in the lives of Stephen and the Governor. The laziness and obviousness of this character's function undermines much of The Ides of March.

Not only does this character function in a way that is hard to believe, the character is also quite dated. Political scandals have evolved and while the occasional old school, 90's style scandal still bubbles up, the bigger more elaborate scandals involving money and abuse of power are more resonant today. That said, "The Ides of March" contains scenes that are transcendent and would make a better movie into one that would be talked about for a very long time. One scene involves Gosling's Stephen and Paul Giamatti, the campaign manager for a rival campaign, which contains the kind of political inside baseball that political junkies won't be able to resist.

Another great scene involves Gosling and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in which Hoffman delivers a glorious speech about loyalty. Hoffman is Gosling's boss and when he finds out that Stephen has met with Giamatti he unleashes a fury that is Oscar quality. The cast of "The Ides of March" is first rate, including strong supporting roles for Marisa Tomei as a cynical journalist and Max Minghella (The Social Network) as an ambitious campaign operative. The main cast is very good as well but they cannot overcome the flaws of the film's 'twist' and a distinct ugliness that is magnified by our real life political climate.

Movies cannot ignore the times in which they exist, especially one that aims to mimic real life. "The Ides of March" is a mirror image of the negativity and vileness of our current politics. George Clooney has every right to make a movie that reflects our current politics but that doesn't make "The Ides of March" enjoyable to watch. Count me among those who are exhausted by politics; exhausted by the cynical game playing. 

I'm tired of being suspicious of all politicians. I'm sick of all the lying and gamesmanship. I want to believe in something again, anything. "The Ides of March" believes only in the ugliness of politics and while that's a perfectly valid perspective, I don't want to watch this or any movie about this ugliness. I'm tired, too tired for any more cynicism than I am already burdened with. "The Ides of March" invites us only to wallow in our cynicism and I am too tired to wallow.