Mary Queen of Scots

Josie Rourke made her first film while still artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse, from Beau Willimon’s adaptation of historian John Guy’s biography of Mary. The project sat unmade for years: once prepared for Scarlett Johansson to shoot in 2007, it had Saoirse Ronan attached from 2012, and Margot Robbie only joined in 2017. Rourke cast it colour blind on purpose: the Piedmontese David Rizzio is played by Ismael Cruz Córdova and Bess of Hardwick by Gemma Chan. She has said she made clear from the start that she would not direct an all white period drama. Max Richter splits the score by gender: cor anglais, viol and harp for Mary and the women, drums, bass and percussion for the men and the battlefield. At the 91st Academy Awards it took two nominations, Best Costume Design for Alexandra Byrne and Best Makeup and Hairstyling for Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher and Jessica Brooks, and won neither. At the 72nd BAFTAs all three of its nominations went to The Favourite. Shircore and Pilcher did win period hairstyling at the Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild. A good fit if you will look for the film’s real argument in the costume and hair work. Not for anyone wanting the record, since there is no account of the two queens meeting face to face.