We took our first visit to the cinema of 2019 at the weekend to see one of the big releases of the week, Mary Queen of Scots which stars Margot Robbie is Elizabeth I, while Mary Stuart is portrayed by Saoirse Ronan. We went to one of those Everyman cinemas, which I’ll come back later.
Lets look at the good bits first. The film is beautifully shot, the scenery is breathtaking, and both female leads are brilliant, with Margot, for me, shading it as giving the better performance. Don’t get me wrong Saoirse is good, very good, but there’s something about Margot’s performance that stuck with me. The film has received three nominations at this years BAFTAs, Best Supporting Actress (Robbie), Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup & Hair.
Now, I most confess that I aren’t much of a history buff so I’m not sure how much ‘artistic license’ is involved in the telling of this story. The screenplay was written by Beau Willimon, who helped develop the Netflix version of House of Cards, and was one of the reasons that I wanted to see the movie. However I know that scene near the end of the movie where the two meet didn’t happen. Sadly, it doesn’t add anything to the story and actually really outstays it’s welcome.
That’s leads me on to the negative stuff. Some of the supporting cast let’s the side down. James McArdle as the Earl of Moray, Mary’s brother. He looks like someone who was last seen in a Adam and the Ants video in the eighties. And then there’s David Tennant as John Knox, a Protestant cleric. He looks like Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies. And sadly his act was basically a 1500’s Twitter troll, stirring people up with lies.
I’ll be honest, Mrs Bewes seemed to get more from the film than I did and I very much doubt I would revisit it in the future. Which neatly leads to the Everyman cinema. I’d been before, but it was the first time for Mrs Bewes. I find it very odd that you go to see a film and order a full meal to eat while you are watching it. You do one then do the other, never should the two meet. It’s just wrong! And it costs about £3 or £4 more to see a film. Just to sit on a sofa, which wasn’t that comfy if I’m being honest! I don’t think we will be back anytime soon.