Firebrand: A Flickering Flame

With "Firebrand" debuting just days before the Season 2 premiere of "House of the Dragon," I believe this film had the potential to entice viewers to explore regal drama in cinemas, from a historically accurate perspective, but got in its own way.

---

Director: Karim Aïnouz ("Madame Satã" & "O Céu de Suely")

Writers: Henrietta Ashworth and Jessica Ashworth ("Killing Eve") based on the novel "Queen's Gambit" by Elizabeth Fremantle

---

When an actor's performance is so captivating that it fully immerses you in the story's world, it can allow us to overlook imperfections, because of the emotional impact felt in the film. Jude Law, Alicia Vikander, and Erin Doherty managed this in every frame. Their portrayals are not only a highlight of the film but also underscore the importance of a director's ability to foster a space where actors can fully invest in their characters.

Jude Law's compelling performance shows us an actor nearly 30 years into perfecting his craft, bringing us bits from his characters in "Contagion" and "Dom Hemingway" to create the absolutely foul King Henry VIII. Though he's spoken about the scent which he had especially formulated to duplicate the same wretched smell the King always had, Jude also had this to say to The Hollywood Reporter, which I hope will give a sense of his commitment:

"I had to read up and really fully understand just how unhealthy he was at the very end, although he was my age. It became really important to me the pain he was in and these deep vein ulcers that he had been suffering from for 10 years prior affected his moods daily and his state of mind, but also what he could and couldn’t do."

If nothing else this film is worth seeing for its performances. It bears repeating that Jude's King Henry VIII is a confused, unfit, loathsome, sad, sick, pathetic man, to Alicia Vikander's ever-suffering, ever-planning, hopeful but desperate, Catherine Parr. Alicia Vikander had a difficult task because Catherine was often limited in what she could express or communicate without drawing too much attention to herself. Being overlooked is how Parr survives and Vikander succeeded in portraying someone tiptoeing around the constant threat of death while also being a loving step-mother to Henry's nearly abandoned children and even a writer ("Prayers or Meditations" which was written in English instead of the accepted Latin, was also the first book published by an English woman under her own name)

Erin Doherty emerges as a breakout star in "Firebrand." Despite her limited screen time as Anne Askew, she effortlessly conveys the depth of Catherine's risks and the reasons she fought so hard to survive instead of running from religious persecution. Doherty had to express and embody a great deal in such a short amount of time, and she delivers so powerfully that even in scenes where she is completely silent, she takes center frame.

On the other hand, it was peculiar to see the characters of a teen Queen Elizabeth and of Thomas Seymour relegated to side characters in the film, especially considering how pivotal they become in the historical narrative that follows the events of the film. Their limited roles felt like a missed opportunity to explore their significant contributions and complex relationships more deeply. This was then made even more odd when the film ends with a short narration from the point of view of Elizabeth, and the written epilogue focuses on her future instead of Parr's.

"Firebrand" could have greatly benefited from one more draft and alternative edits to tighten its narrative structure. Despite this, everything else in the film—namely performances and visuals—were executed so well that I am writing such a lengthy review to make the case that in the visual medium of films, I believe not having a cohesive story in a film isn't necessarily a death sentence, but it does require the other elements to do a lot of heavy lifting to compensate for a convoluted plot.

Brazilian film-maker Karim Aïnouz, (making his English-language feature debut) got excellent performances from his actors in "Madame Satã"(also based on a real character, and one I highly recommend) and "O Céu de Suely". I am confident in my assumption that the director captured something incredible on film that was not fully expressed in this edit. The footage is there and I look forward to a director's cut, with a better film title as well.

Overall, while Aïnouz has proven his directorial prowess before, "Firebrand" and its script might not have fully allowed this film to reach its full potential. It's a reminder that even talented directors with incredible leads can sometimes struggle with certain projects or storytelling approaches that are likely out of their control. That's the beauty and downfall of the collaborative art of cinema.