As
any historian of English history can attest, royal succession in Her Majesty’s
Realm can be a bloody affair, often ending in civil war and severed heads
before the matter is settled. Such is the
unfortunate fate of Mary Stuart, the subject of the period drama ‘Mary Queen of
Scots’ starring Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, David Tennant and Guy Pierce (granted
there are many others, but those are the only ones well known enough
to this humble reviewer). And it should
come as little surprise that these violent power struggles were part of the
larger religious conflict between Protestantism and Catholicism.
Based
on John Guy’s biographical account "Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary
Stuart," MQOS regales us with the tale of Mary (Ronan), who returns from
France to claim her rightful place as Queen of Scotland upon the death of her
husband King Francis II of France.
Political intrigue ensues as the protestant Queen of
England, Elizabeth I, regards her as a potential threat to the throne.
Heeding her closest advisors, among them John Knox (Tennant) and
William Cecil (Pierce), Elizabeth keeps an wary eye on her cousin with the ravages of
Bloody Mary still fresh on her mind.
Harley Quinn, is that you?
MQOS plays it fairly straight and safe, contemporizing one of British history’s great rivalries without overdramatizing things (unlike ‘The Favourite’ for instance). While effective in its own way, it's also rather dry and makes for a languid viewing experience that tests your patience unless you have an interest in British monarchical history to begin with. To me, it’s akin to a boring Shakespearean tragedy on Masterpiece Theater in pacing, style and production value, so if this sort of thing is your cup of tea you’ll probably enjoy it more than I did.
Grade: C
MQOS plays it fairly straight and safe, contemporizing one of British history’s great rivalries without overdramatizing things (unlike ‘The Favourite’ for instance). While effective in its own way, it's also rather dry and makes for a languid viewing experience that tests your patience unless you have an interest in British monarchical history to begin with. To me, it’s akin to a boring Shakespearean tragedy on Masterpiece Theater in pacing, style and production value, so if this sort of thing is your cup of tea you’ll probably enjoy it more than I did.
Grade: C
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