Monarch

Henry VIII is arguably the most interesting monarch of all time, it's fair to say he had a colourful existence. Monarch mixes up real life events with fiction, and delivers a totally intriguing watch.

It's one of those films I didn't like initially, and I almost switched it off, I found some of the production a little cheap looking, and found the house way too modern for the period. However, those minor flaws quickly passed when TP McKenna began his performance as The aged King.

There isn't often a lot of focus during the end of the King's reign, by now he would have been incredibly sick, and in very poor health. I love how this characterisation battles his demons, having to answer to one Queen, a combination of all six wives. Jean Marsh was fabulous.

Lavish costumes, and sets, which although sparse seem to work. You can see there wasn't an enormous budget to hand, but I felt the director did an excellent job.

Thoroughly enjoyable. 7/10

I caught up with this movie on Prime Video. Wanted to see what the fuss was about. For a film that had some great reviews from major magazines I was surprised to see some bummer reviews. I guess it will be one what decides those who do and don't like what they see, obviously. My first thought was this Henry VIII drama might have a touch of Wolf Hall about it until I realized it was made in 1996, 13 years before the first Wolf Hall book! Do these filmmakers know that their idea was nicked? I guess they should by now. Sure this is low budget and is in one location. It doesn't pretend to be an epic Lawrence of Arabia film. I liked this slow burn indie style costume drama. Makes a change from a mind numbing indie horror Blair Witch rip off that so many debut features are. If you dig around you can see that John Walsh who wrote and filmed this is today a mega awards laden filmmaker and writer of books, also knows as a best-selling author! Be part of the light and not the darkness and see this film ideally at night but leave a positive review. It is like a Tudor ghost story. I like other reviewers feel haunted after seeing it. The house it was filmed in is a real haunted English manor house.

Monarch is a terrific display of the finest Filmmaking, with a compelling story that mixes some true history with fiction, portrayed by superb actors that really make you care about their characters under impecable directing of John Walsh. Definitely recommended!

I'm surprised none of the other reviews here so far have spotted that this film is a bit of a Doctor Who-fest. An average film might have 50 or so in it's cast and if there was an odd actor who appeared in from the 50 year old sci-fi series, it would not be too much of a surprise. What is startling here is we have a cast of about eight leading players and half of them have been in Doctor Who.

Peter Miles played the evil Nyder in Genesis of the Daleks and appeared in the Dinosaur Invasion of Earth, plus a few others. James Coombes was a Cyberman and Jean Marsh (who plays a ghostly Queen here) was in her evil witch persona for the Sylvester McCoy epic Battlefield. Plus she was also an early Who girl and married Jon Pertwee. Lastly the Monarch form this film's title, the great and sadly late, TP McKenna joined the seventh Doctor for The Greatest Show In The Galaxy.

Has this film been given a spit and polish form the vast film archives of the British Cinema vaults to coincide with the 50th Anniversary hoopla? Either way it's a welcome addition. And having seen John Walsh's furiously funny ToryBoy The Movie in cinemas, I am a fan pure and simple. He gets my vote every time :)

This is masterful filmmaking by director John Walsh. It's beautifully shot, wonderfully acted and built around a moment of suspense Hitchcock would have been proud of. But Walsh's greatest masterstroke is his choice of subject matter. On the surface, King Henry VIII seems like a gossipy story that has been the most retold one of the 20th Century.

But as the drama ­develops, the enormity of the ­situation hits you. The monarch had long ceased to wield political power, there was something very shaky about the monarchy. In this stylish film, King Henry VIII (TP McKenna) is an arrogant and dangerous but also vulnerable and susceptible to the tricks played by his own mind. Thanks in part to the ghost Queens played by Jean Marsh.

This is on a very small intimate scale, but the claustrophobic sets, haunting music and refined direction make this one of the most tense costume dramas I have seen.