There have been many familial power disputes through history that boil down to the question of who (or whom) is the true heir to a throne. The odd thing is that for the most part, the quarrel has been amongst me, but it has happened where it happened between women, and this is the story of “Mary Queen of Scots”.
Directed by first-timer Josie Rourke, this film stars Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) in the title role with Margot Robbie (I, Tonya) as her estranged cousin and Queen of England Elizabeth I. Mary Stuart has just returned to her homeland of Scotland after the death of her French husband at age eighteen to reclaim her throne while her cousin Elizabeth I sits on hers. By birthright, Mary actually has more claim to the English throne than Elizabeth, so the struggle between them begins with a rise and fall for all involved for different reasons.
This film is historically accurate with a cinematography style and what I feel should be award-winning costume design that compliments it well. When it comes to the acting, I am a little torn because while both Ronan and Robbie do an incredible job in their roles (and I feel Ronan truly deserves some nominations next year) Robbie is not in the film enough for me. Since this is about the power struggle between Elizabeth and Mary, QEI should have been in the film more to further the main plot.
There is also a dilemma for me when it comes to the script because for a film is about two hours long, it seemed slow and complicated. There are a lot of minor plots and storylines to keep track of, and I struggled with that. “Mary Queen of Scots” is still good and there will be some debate as it pertains to its historical correctness, but I will still definitely recommend this film as a twilight to matinee showing.