Mary Queen of Scots is a thin and over-stylised film that builds to an anticlimax despite its strong cast

THIS much-awaited, stylish but oddly thin film pits two mighty fine actors against each other. Famously only meeting for one scene, Mary (Saoirse Ronan) and Elizabeth (Margot Robbie) spend most of the film circling each other in a heady mix of adoration, curiosity and fear.

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Mary, having been widowed at 18 returns to Scotland to claim her rightful throne - much to the raised eyebrow of England's (and in her absence, Scotland’s too) Queen. Two female leaders in a world run by men (“How did the world come to this? Wise men servicing the worries of women!”), they each know they are their greatest allies and threat.

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Much has been made of Robbie’s transformation into the non-glamourous Elizabeth (The reason for her aesthetic downfall does much to bring sympathy to her character - as does her desire and failure to bear children) and it goes some way to allow her talent to continue to shine, much like ‘I, Tonya’ - and Ronan’s ascent is still very much continuing - but here I felt it too stylised, too fluid with history and spends the whole film building up to a moment that left me a bit nonplussed and a bit confused as to why the topics of empowerment and modern takes on feminism are wielded so clunky - when the actual events did them so much better.

Mary Queen of Scots 124 mins (15)

★★★☆☆