Unlike Mary Poppins, this Mary does NOT return…

Fans of The Crown and Game of Thrones may want to check out Mary, Queen of Scots.

Saoirse Ronan plays Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland who at age 19 attempts to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England, played by Margot Robbie, before becoming imprisoned for 18 & ½ years and executed at 44.

This is an incredibly complicated slice of history that has been simplified so that for somebody not at all familiar with the facts like myself, I could get some grasp of affairs, but there is A LOT going on.

Saoirse Ronan delivers a scorching performance, and Margot Robbie is fantastic, but I think she was miscast. The cinematography is brilliant and the performances are excellent. The story however doesn’t quite gel, it’s such a big tale to tell and shines brightest when focusing on the intimate details of the characters.

3 Stars.