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Mary Queen of Scots

2018

Josie Rourke

Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Joe Alwyn, Jack Lowden ...

6.0

5,582

Drama The story is set during the 16th Century when Mary Stuart became Queen of France at 16, was widowed two years later, and returned to her native Scotland to reclaim her throne — while Scotland and England fall under the rule of Elizabeth I.

	Author	Review
United States	Peter Travers Rolling Stone	"The two Oscar-nominated actors bring grace and grit to what otherwise feels like a stock, stuffy period piece (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"	NEU
United States	Todd McCarthy The Hollywood Reporter	"Willimon knows nothing if not how to stir a political pot to tasty extremes (...) Director Rourke exhibits confidence and enthusiasm"	POS
United States	Peter Debruge Variety	"Packed with plot twists and palace intrigue (...) The frequent views of unspoiled Scottish scenery work to keep things visually interesting"	POS
United States	A. O. Scott The New York Times	"There is a welcome wildness to some of Rourke and Willimon’s revisionism (...) It looks beautiful and moves swiftly but never quite takes full imaginative flight."	NEU
United States	Kimber Myers The Playlist	"Mary Queen of Scots is no staid, stuffy period drama. Instead, this a vital film, whose lace-trimmed bosom heaves with life. (...) Ronan’s fiery portrayal (please give her a fourth Oscar nomination before her 25th birthday, thank you)"	POS
United States	Monica Castillo rogerebert.com	"[Rourke] has an eye for pageantry and staging that make even dull conversations about power struggles feel lively (...) It doesn’t always work (…) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"	NEU
United States	Perri Nemiroff Collider	"It’s far from a home run with some major snags including pacing and emotional detachment at the beginning of the movie, but the film still manages to resonate as a story"	NEU
United States	David Ehrlich IndieWire	"Ronan and Robbie find ways to breathe new life into their respective queens (...) Rourke finds a way to bind these queens together, establishing a psychic connection"	POS
United Kingdom	Benjamin Lee The Guardian	"Rourke and Willimon have crafted a juicy, darkly compelling drama (...) The film’s most thrilling pleasure is a show-stopping lead performance from Ronan (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Robbie Collin Telegraph	"A thrilling drama of 16th century statecraft (...) [A] lush and ravishing period piece (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Helen O'Hara Empire	"Ronan and Robbie, and a strong supporting cast, make this a compelling clash of personalities. (...) A history lesson with more fire in the belly than most. (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Yolanda Machado The Wrap	"[It] provides an intense, gorgeous and fully fleshed-out story of two queens (...) Every second is meticulously planned out; every turn has a purpose; every moment, a need"	POS
United Kingdom	Tim Grierson Screendaily	"Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie are both superb in muted performances (...) [This] somewhat sluggish film is more interesting to talk about in terms of its ideas than what actually transpires onscreen."	NEU

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