Mary Queen of Scots review round-up: Margot Robbie, Saoirse Ronan's period drama 'sacrifices historical believability'

Saoirse Ronan’s Mary Queen of Scots released in the US recently and has been getting its mixed share of reviews. As reported earlier, starring the three time Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, Brooklyn and Lady Bird) and the one time Academy Award nominee Margot Robbie (I, Tonya), Mary Queen of Scots explores the turbulent life of Mary Stuart (Ronan). Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth I (Robbie). [caption id=“attachment_5677091” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Margot Robbie as Elizabeth I (left) and Saoirse Ronan as Mary Queen of Scots[/caption] Empire feels Mary Queen of Scots is anachronistic in ways and also slightly unbelievable at certain junctures. The script (Beau Willimon) simplifies complex dynamics between characters to the point that it strikes as unrealistic. “Director Josie Rourke finds a way through by focusing on a relatable story about women struggling to survive a man’s world, though she sometimes sacrifices historical believability to do it,” adds the review. The Hollywood Reporter lauds performances by Ranan and Robbie, though the screenplay is again criticised for “taking the easy way out,” especially because the film defies the “show, don’t tell” formula that is essential for historical films like these. “It’s feistiness notwithstanding, Mary Queen of Scots certainly offers a traditional take on historical melodrama.” Entertainment Weekly praises Ronan’s sensational portrayal of the wronged queen. Willimon’s writing, adds the report, has the ‘chess-piece intrigue’ that is necessary to chronicle the life of a monarch always under threat. The film is said to have a ‘keen feminist sensibility’ throughout its narrative. The Guardian terms the screenplay as ’nifty’ while the two performances by Ranon and Robbie were generously complimented. Ronan, as per the report, is gradually on her way to become one of the most bankable actors post her poignant performance in Lady Bird. USA Today compares the much-talked about confrontation scene between Ronan and Robbie’s characters with the Al Pacino and Robert De Niro face-off in Heat. The report states that the treatment of the narrative has a ‘definite modern relevance’ to the way the film has navigated the male-dominated, patriarchal world ruled by Mary and Elizabeth, two determined queens who dared to defy.