This film is laughable. First off, let me just say that there is something very exotic looking about the actress portraying Queen Kristina. This "Malin Buska" actually seems talented for the role, good show of emotions paired with masculine undertones and dominant-aggressive behavior. There is also something very attractive about her being fluent in many languages, and her ever-so slight accent when speaking English.
Ebba Spare, on the other hand, otherwise known as "Belle", seems way too submissive in nature (even though she is a servant) and deserved more lines throughout the entire script. After watching the movie I barely remembered she was even in it until I read the cast again. But she looked more of like a doll on display rather than a living, breathing character. Kristina's advances towards her were very cringey.
The whole movie seems rushed and much too fast-paced for my liking, or anyone's, for that matter. The message is pretty clear, but the delivery seems like they were given only a single evening to rehearse all of it. Felt a lot like a costume play, not a genuine royalty presentation such as it was done in Magnificent Century (Turkish) and The Tudors (British), and while these two were a televesion series, they should provide a role model for how all monarch-based flicks should appear and be viewed as. Also, as a side note, I think the way Kristina cut her hair near the end of the story was absolutely horrific and truly don't think that kind of a transition was necessary.
All in all, an excellent story put into a less-than-mediocre visualization of all the "issues" going on in pre-Industrial Scandinavia. By no way is this the performer's fault, it's the directors producers that tend to nullify the end result of such a glamorous, touching story. But honestly, pretty actressess don't cover up the obvious peresence of spoiled and unskilled movie-making.
