In the 1950s, sleazy American Hollywood film director Leo Köpernick (Adrien Brody) visiting London sets out to adapt a popular stage play into a film, but things go off the rails when the director is murdered. World-weary Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and rookie Police Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan) find themselves amid a puzzling Agatha Christie-style whodunnit.

For audiences who are looking for something different and have an appetite for the quirky director Tom George’s See How They Run is a very nice bit of fun. A whimsical, absurdist and witty whodunnit mystery, See How They Run takes an eclectic group of characters, many of them based on real-life persons and throws them into a dastardly tale of murder and mischief. When shady filmmaker Leo Köpernick (Adrien Brody) is killed, the production team behind Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap are all suspects in a chilling game of cat and mouse and soon gruff Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and his over-eager rookie partner Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan) find themselves right in the middle of murder spree with a killer who is getting bolder by the minute.

Packed together with off-beat characters and an eccentric style, director Tom George employs a very dry wit to deliver this story and he’s got a lot going with his talented cast. See How They Run is very much a character-driven story, and he takes his leading cast into entirely new directions with their performances. Chief among them is Academy Award winner Sam Rockwell who switches things up as the rather hoarse police detective Inspector Stoppard, and Rockwell makes a go of it with this very different character. Paired next to him is the very versatile Saoirse Ronan as rookie policewoman Constable Stalker and her all-to-eager sense of enthusiasm makes her a stand-out member of the cast.

While there’s a good dose of moody crime and murder going on in See How They Run, it was the film’s unique dry comedy that won me over as an audience member. George’s film is incredibly dry and idiosyncratic in its delivery and he manages to find a good dose of laughs in this narrative, which alongside its 1950s decor and styling makes it all the more hilarious when the time calls for it. This use of comedy also helps to keep the audience in a state of suspense about the story and it’s a wickedly good use of narrative to help propel the plot forward.

If you’re seeking something a little bit different and slightly left of centre, then See How They Run makes for a very fun watch.

Image: 20th Century Studios

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1840s England, acclaimed but overlooked fossil hunter Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) and a young woman (Saoirse Ronan) sent to convalesce by the sea develop an intense relationship, altering both of their lives forever.

Brought to the screen wrapped in burning passion, director Francis Lee’s Ammonite is a gripping historical romantic drama that audiences won’t be able to look away from. Delivering two incredibly heavy performances from two of the best actresses working in Hollywood today, in the form of Academy Award-winning actress Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, as two women who find deep love in one another, but who have no way of reconciling it. Lee builds a feeling of hope amidst despair, of love battling through hardship and under his direction Ammonite is sure to touch the soul of his audience.

Taking on the lead role of Mary Anning is Academy Award winner Kate Winslet and her performance here is utterly transformative. Winslet disappears into the very shell of Anning, a disgruntled, lonely, bitter and impoverished woman who eecks out an existence finding and restoring fossils, whom she sells to local tourists, all the while being denied the scientific prestige that should be awarded to her. Winslet is almost devoid of emotion as Anning, until the appearance of Saoirse Ronan’s Charlotte Murchison lights a fire inside of her and she can’t help but express her love for her.

As Charlotte Murchison, Saoirse Ronan is also a shell of a woman, but her affliction is one of the soul and when we meet her she is possessed by a deep and bitter melancholy. Neither Mary nor Charlotte particularly warm to each other quickly but as the narrative unfolds we see a deep love form between them, and the danger that such a love can have for two women within this time period. Ronan’s performance is incredibly brave, and this is her most grown-up role to date. As her spirit rises her emotions come to the surface once again, and Charlotte is very much the sun to Mary, giving her the attention and devotion she has long been devoid of.

Ammonite is a very challenging piece of work for both actresses and their attention to the story and their characters is something to be commended. Lee’s film is one of burgeoning sexual energy and explosive intimacy, and we see both actresses fall into the throngs of passion. Both Winslet and Ronan each give themselves completely to their roles within this film, and while they find a fleeting moment of happiness together, each is an entirely different character, and this is where the tension and drama of this story unfolds.

Alongside the intensity of the performances of his actresses, Lee also focuses his attention in on the cold, wet, and overcast coastal region of Lyme Regis, where Mary Anning attempts to make a living as a fossil hunter. And this harsh, inhospitable landscape is a major contributor to the power of this narrative. Shot with particular focus by cinematography Stéphane Fontaine whose lighting is sombre and grey, and brings out a colour palette of cold aquas, navy’s and blues that tease out the cold intensity that surrounds Mary and Charlotte. But this backdrop serves only to push their passions for each other further together with the screen them coming along with warmer tones to symbolise the potency of their love. Watching Ammonite is like watching a piece of Victorian-era art canvas come to life, and the attention to detail that Lee and Fontaine bring to the film makes it grow on the audience even further.

Ammonite is a powerful film of what it means to love and the journeys we go through with the person that we love. With its mix of heavy drama and two stunning performances from it’s leading actresses, audiences can be sure that they’ll be in for a very special film experience where every part demands to be savored.

Image: Transmission Films

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Mary Queen of Scots explores the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart. 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 1. Each young Queen beholds her “sister” in fear and fascination. Rivals in power and in love, and female regents in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth’s sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion, and conspiracies within court imperil both thrones – and change the course of history.

The story of Mary, Queen of Scots is an epic battle of wills and two nations set against each other, each seen through the guise of their monarchs, and director Josie Rourke captures this powder keg of historical drama in all its intricate detail. In her feature film debut Rourke displays a clear knowledge of her subject matter and merges a complex narrative with historical detail that is both loyal to the past, and strikingly contemporary at the same time. Rourke is aware that no matter the time period the rules of power never change and her study of this theme wraps into the identities of the two Queens at the centre of her narrative. Through her eyes, she presents the facts and the high drama of two women, who supposedly should be sisters, but who can never be seen as such thanks to the world around them. Rourke gives a sense of the present to history and as an audience member, you find yourself embroiled in the personal challenges faced by each of these monarchs.

Taking the lead in the film is Saoirse Ronan as Mary Stewart, Queen of Scots, and her performance garners true sympathy in the audience for her portrayal of the doomed Queen. Ronan portrays Mary as a woman who is always true to her feelings and whose loyalty to her core beliefs make her naive to the realities that are in front of her. Blinded by her Catholic faith and her obsession with the English succession, Mary continually falls prey to the changing circumstances of her own court and her choices endanger her at every turn. Ronan’s performance is a heartfelt one and because of this, you feel a great sense of compassion for her as she falls ever deeper into the political abyss.

In direct response to Ronan’s girlhood ideals which govern her rule, Margot Robbie’s Elizabeth I is a strict and intelligent Queen, whose understanding of the world around her, and cunning strategic mind, make her a far more threatening presence than Mary ever could hope to be. Robbie takes a dramatic turn as Elizabeth and instead of the sublime beauty that normally radiates through on screen we see her as a scarred and ugly Elizabeth I who has been ravaged by smallpox and left barren with no hope of ever producing an heir. In Robbie’s performance, I get a sense of a woman who understands that her role in life is to serve her people and her country above her own base desires and this has made her a far more politically savvy person than Mary. But while she is unquestionably a head of state, Elizabeth is not exempt from petty jealousies and Mary’s continual desire to bait Elizabeth with everything she is not, whether it be her beauty, womanhood or ability to produce an heir, is what truly tests their bond as sister monarchs and leads to their eventual position as mortal enemies.

With Mary, Queen of Scots we ultimately get a portrait of girlhood vs womanhood and the concept of responsibility. While Mary is contempt to be ruled by her own base desires and is erratic in her political policies, Elizabeth takes the position of being firm to her role as a head of state and understands that her allegiance is to England above all else. Thematically its an interesting line for the film to walk, and while Mary is more of a woman than Elizabeth thanks to her beauty and ability to bear an heir, it’s ultimately Elizabeth who is more a mother to her nation and its people thanks to her desire to provide peace and prosperity where Mary’s inability to recognise the world around her only leads to death and strife.

Along with offering an analysis of medieval power, Rourke firmly places her attention on the two defining issues of the time: Religion and Succession. These two issues consumed every part of 16th Century life, and Rourke’s attention to their importance really impressed me with her regard to true historical representation. Not only do these two issues lead to massive tension in both the courts of Mary Stewart and Elizabeth I, but you really feel the dire position that Elizabeth finds herself in thanks to Mary’s unwavering belief that she is due the throne and that Mary could thus undo everything Elizabeth has spent her life achieving and thus this ensures Mary’s eventual doom.

Along with its heavy drama, Mary, Queen of Scots also carries some beautiful cinematography thanks to the lens of cinematographer John Mathieson (Logan, Kingdom of Heaven) and his eye really helps realize Rourke’s grand vision. Mathieson’s focus on natural light really serves to drive the narrative forward and his unique use of colour helps to differentiate the juxtaposing courts of Mary and Elizabeth. For Mary, his focus is on cool colours such as blues and purples to highlight the cold of Scotland, and for Elizabeth’s court, he radiates the screen with a warm palette of golds and ambers. This use of cinematography, coupled with rich costuming and impressive set design, draws the audience into the distinct world of these clashing Queens and there’s always another sight for you to feast your eyes upon as a viewer.

Returning to the narrative of Mary, Queen of Scots if you have read your history books then you no doubt know how this all ends. By her nature and very will Mary dooms herself to the executioner’s axe, but Rourke invokes a deep sense of sympathy for both Queens. Thanks to her direction you feel that each found themselves in an unavoidable position and a Queen’s duty must be to her nation and not her own feelings.

Mary, Queen of Scots is packed out with intense thrills and beautiful historical detail that captures the essence of two queens and their fight for supreme power where only one can rule absolutely.

Image: Universal Pictures

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