The film Firebrand was a complete disaster. It’s hard to argue with about an hour and ten minutes of the movie but then it completely went off the tracks.

On the positive: The acting was superb. Vikander played the role of Katherine Parr just right, being strong and assertive but scared to death of Henry. Although Jude Law went over the top at the end, for the most part his performance was the consummate portrayal of Henry, possibly even rivalling that of Keith Michell in the 1971 TV series The Six Wives of Henry VIII (my own personal favorite). You could see the charming king at one point and then the tyrannical king in another scene with Law. And the scenes with the ulcerated leg are very realistic.

I loved the actors who portrayed the Seymour brothers with their long beards, as seen in their actual portraits. The actor who played Stephen Gardiner did an excellent job demonstrating how the bishop played the political game with masterful charm. Music and costumes were superb and the scenes of the hunting parties and the banquets which were historically accurate were a joy to watch.

I’m not buying the people who defend the film by saying it’s based on a novel and it’s only fiction. Why spend seventy minutes of the film with perfect settings, look-alike actors, realistic costumes, historically accurate music and perfect storytelling and then go off the rails for the last fifty minutes? And the real story is infinitely better than the hogwash depicted in the film.

The final hour was painful. Without giving away any spoilers, I’m going to have to historically counteract with all my might the ending. See the movie for the reason stated, but be forewarned.

*Full disclosure: I have not read the novel The Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle* upon which the film was based.