A misguided project about a hated king’s final wife.
“Divorced, beheaded, and died”
“Divorced, beheaded, and survived.”
That’s the famous explanation on what happened to the wives of Henry VIII. He started his own church to divorce his first wife Catherine of Aragon, because she couldn’t give him a son. He then married Anne Boleyn, whom he executed. Then, Jane Seymour who died after giving birth to his son King Edward VI. Then, Anne of Cleves, whom he divorced. Then, Catherine Howard, whom he executes for cheating on him with her distant cousin. And finally, he married Catherine Parr, who survived.
“Firebrand,” the new Alicia Vikander and Jude Law independent film, features Henry’s final marriage before his death. And like the king, this movie is indulged in the behaviors and ambiance, which makes you care less about this dramatization. It’s mostly Vikander, who wins you over as Katherine (I guess this movie wanted her name to start with a “K”), because of her tone and consistency, while Law seems to be overdoing the role of Henry VIII.
This movie features her being pregnant and suffering from a miscarriage, as well as her connection with Anne Askew (Erin Doherty), who preaches about an uprising against the king. But mostly, Katherine has to deal with the cruelty of her husband, who attacks her and those around her, disowns his children from previous marriages, and relies on his new wife to tend to his wounds.
The cast also includes Sam Riley (with a fake-looking beard) as Thomas Seymour, the brother of Jane; Eddie Marsan as Edward Seymour, their older brother; and Simon Russell Beale as the bishop Stephen Gardiner. Each of their scenes with Vikander are flat and basically repetitive on the same subject regarding Henry’s choices, as well as hers.
Directed by Karim Ainouz (“The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao”) and based on Elizabeth Fremantle’s book “Queen’s Gambit,” “Firebrand” looks great with the cinematography done by Helene Louvart, but it feels so bland, considering the tragedy in the real life King and his six wives. I already knew his story long before this movie existed, and I’m giving you reader that for context. But I didn’t know how his final wife Catherine (or Katherine-or whatever the movie wants to call her) survived. She was lucky enough not to get the ax, although the cruelty she goes through is impossible to imagine. She deserves to have a better story told, but at least Vikander convinces us of her character’s nature. This is her first film in a few years since “The Green Knight” and “Beckett,” which isn’t really saying much, but maybe her next movie “Rumours” can give her a better story.
I met Law less than a decade ago, and he’s one of my favorite actors. “Road to Perdition,” “Sherlock Holmes,” “Contagion,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Spy,” and the list goes on and on. But even great actors can have crappy roles. As Henry VIII, he has the beard, hat, and unhealthy condition, but he doesn’t draw us into his hatefulness. And quite frankly, while I would usually be irritated by male chauvinistic pigs like that king, his portrayal here is boring.
This is not much of a history film, and I think you’re better off reading about this Terrible Tudor and the people in his life.