Movie tip

Mary Queen of Scots

“Mary Queen of Scots” has the misfortune of being released around the same time as “The Favourite.” Both deal with queens of England, albeit a couple hundred years apart. “The Favourite” is fresh and wildly original. “Mary Queen of Scots” feels familiar and mundane. The one element that fires up “Scots” is the forceful performance of Saoirse Ronan as the title character, who has to battle pretty much everyone — from her brother to her husband to her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England (played by Margot Robbie) — in her fight for what she sees as her rightful place of power.