Mary Queen of Scots - Liked It

Starring: Margot Robbie, Saoirse Ronan, Joe Alwyn
Director: Josie Rourke
Runtime: 2 hours, 4 minutes
Biography | Drama | 2018

Ever since I heard that this movie was coming out and that Saoirse Ronan was starring, it was added to my movie watch list. I love Saoirse and think Margot Robbie is also fantastic. I do not know much about Mary Queen of Scots, so I used these tickets to a free screening to see a movie I’ve been wanting to see and to enhance my knowledge of history. And let me tell you, times back then were rough and I hated everyone in that film other than the two main queens.

As for the film, I thought Ronan and Robbie were fantastic in their roles. The two queens’ rivalry grew and grew in the film, but that wasn’t the point of the film. The point of the film was that on top of Queen Elizabeth’s hatred for Mary, the people that Mary reigned grew more and more hatred for her. During the times of reformation in the United Kingdom, where Catholicism was frown upon and considered a sin.

Though I thought the acting was superb along with the direction and the costume design, the movie itself was fairly blah. I should have expected this, being a biographical movie and all. By the end I just felt completely bad for Mary, especially since I knew how it would end (as should everyone - but it was one of the movies that shows the end scene first). I actually didn’t make it to the end of the movie. Not for lack of liking it, but because I had the most awful migraine and just couldn’t sit there anymore. I’m a little sad I didn’t finish it, but not that sad because I was bored anyway.

I can see this movie perhaps getting nominated for costume design, but I would not expect any others - however, you know I have a bad track record in guessing what will happen in the awards season. I’m going to give this movie a “Liked It” because of Ronan and Robbie, but not much else. (3/5).