ROYAL PAINS
Melodrama ensues in tiresome drama
MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS 1/2 out of 5 Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Jack Lowden Director: Josie Rourke The story of Mary Stuart is an almost unbelievable historical melodrama: following the death of her first husband, the young 16th-century queen returned from France to her native Scotland to claim the throne from her cousin, Queen Elizabeth. It includes no shortage of murder, scheming, sex, scandal, family feuds, rape, religion and, of course, royalty.
And that’s before any over-the-top theatrics are added by screenwriter Beau Willimon, best known as the creator behind House of Cards. His efforts are brought to the screen by director Josie Rourke, whose experience in stage production translates here to gorgeous visuals, particularly when it comes to scenes set in the court. The duo combine to dial up the heat on this feminist adaptation, including a gay affair, a meeting between the two queens in a climactic scene (cleverly shot behind veils) and a plethora of other dicey details.
A touch of diversity is also added to a story that, according to history, likely didn’t have much. Crazy Rich Asians’ Gemma Chan plays Bess of Hardwick, Elizabeth’s friend and adviser, while Adrian Lester plays her ambassador to Scotland and Ismael Cruz-cordova plays Mary’s secretary David Rizzio.
However, despite the modern twists and salacious source material, Mary’s back-and-forth pursuit to conquer is a meandering one that quickly grows tiresome. How many indulgent historical romps depicting the same constricting social, royal and sexual mores do we need?
Nevertheless, Saoirse Ronan dons Mary’s crown as if it was weightless. It’s almost worth the two-hour plus run-time just to watch her deliciously scream at the endless line of useless men around her, including her brother, dim-witted second husband and team of advisers. By the time the credits roll, you’ll wish you had the honour of being cut down to size by her highness.
Despite her displays of authority, Ronan also manages to remind us of just how young her character is — an 18-year-old widow. It’s a complex character with a dominating performance to back it up.
As such, Mary Queen of Scots marks the first time Queen Elizabeth has ever taken a back seat onscreen, played rather sheepishly by an unconvincing and accent-hopping Margot Robbie.
Unfortunately, this is ruinous to the story structure, which presents Elizabeth as something of a loser: childless, single, hideous (thanks to a severe case of smallpox) and politically weak. Never mind that most of those so-called flaws were part of her strategy to remain on the throne for almost half a century.
Mary’s side of history is much harder to sympathize with in Elizabeth’s shadow. Even with a powerhouse performance from Ronan and a script that shines a light on that shadow, it still feels like the wrong story is being told.