Mary Queen of Scots (2018) ★★★

*Writing this review several months after our full review of this film.*

Robbie and Ronan are beyond compelling as the two strongest parts of this film. The smart camerawork by cinematographer John Mathieson which captures the lush greenery of Scotland paired with a score by Max Richter (utilizing a 100 piece orchestra and 12 person women’s choir) make for a truly beautiful experience. I could spend quite a while discussing the wonderful nuances of and the dedication to the performances by the lead ladies but I’d offer nothing that hasn’t been said already.

Despite the things I very much enjoyed, I found my viewing experience of this movie to be somewhat arduous. Heavy Gaelic accents, convoluted plot lines, and a running time of 125 minutes (which felt like a solid 180 to me) kept me shifting in my seat as I followed this story from Mary Elizabeth to Mary Stuart and back to seemingly no end. Each message-carrying horse ride slowly burns toward an eventual meeting between the two. I don’t often harp on how much trailers give away for modern movies but in this case I feel I must. This penultimate showdown is basically given away shot for shot in almost every trailer! As I sat in my screening it slowly dawned on me that all my anticipation was for naught. I think that this, combined with the non-linear storytelling used in the opening shots really made for a bit of a dramatic dry spell throughout the film.

Reviewed by Max Minardi on Fresh Hop Cinema 106