--- title: "A Royal Affair: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-royal-affair/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/a-royal-affair" critics_score: 67 critics_reviews: 17 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # A Royal Affair (2012): what the critics said Critics' score 67 from 17 reviews: 9 positive, 7 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like A Royal Affair well enough, and the praise lands almost entirely on the acting. Mikkel Boe Følsgaard’s king is the performance named most often, for making a lonely, half-mad man both menacing and sympathetic; Mads Mikkelsen’s restraint and Alicia Vikander’s intensity are close behind. The reviews agree the film is handsome, intelligently made and subtler than the usual heritage drama, with the court politics and Enlightenment reforms carrying real weight. The reservations cluster on the romance. Several critics find the affair at the centre less convincing than the intrigue around it: Variety thinks the love story and the political thriller never quite balance, Slant calls the romance unconvincing, and the Los Angeles Times finds the whole thing earnest and a little bloodless. The spread is narrow, running from warm to lukewarm, with only The Guardian negative, faulting the barely simmering chemistry between the leads and a film it finds dour and short on passion. ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 16 February 2012. Festival review. Rooney finds the film an engrossing, elegantly told historical drama, despite some plot density near its conclusion. He particularly praises the compelling performances of its three central actors. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/a-royal-affair-berlin-film-291978/) ## The AV Club — Sam Adams Rating B+. 8 November 2012. Adams finds the film nimble despite a romance that is not especially gripping and a debate whose resolution becomes too predictable. He praises Mads Mikkelsen’s expressive performance and Alicia Vikander’s anguished intensity, while singling out newcomer Mikkel Boe Følsgaard’s layered portrayal of the king. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/a-royal-affair-1798174894) ## Empire — Anna Smith Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2012. Smith finds the film highly entertaining and educational despite its length and neglected peripheral characters. She praises the performances, especially Mikkel Boe Følsgaard’s humorous King Christian and Alicia Vikander’s luminous Queen Caroline. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/royal-affair-review/) ## Evening Standard — The Standard Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 October 2012. The review finds the Danish period drama subtler than many heritage films, despite its familiar television-drama look. It praises the panache of the performances and the complexity of the characterisation. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/a-royal-affair-review-7854650.html) ## Film Comment — Jonathan Robbins Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The standfirst presents the film positively as a sweeping costume drama. It singles out Mads Mikkelsen for stealing the show. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/a-royal-affair-nikolaj-arcel/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or complaint could be verified. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-royal-affair-2012) ## Screen Daily — Mike Goodridge Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 17 February 2012. Festival review. The page identifies this as a review, but its verdict is not visible in the accessible text. No specific praise or complaint can be established from the available content. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/-a-royal-affair/5038209.article) ## Time Out — Cath Clarke Rating 3/5. 12 June 2012. The page identifies this as a review, but provides no review text from which to determine the critic’s verdict. No specific praise or complaint is available in the supplied page content. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-royal-affair) ## Total Film — Ellen E Rating 3/5. 13 June 2012. Arcel gives the scandal a traditional treatment while aiming for modern emotional immediacy. Mikkel Boe Folsgaard’s performance as the king stands out for balancing menace with sympathy. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/a-royal-affair-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 8 November 2012. Turan finds the film polished and intelligently restrained, but overly earnest and somewhat bloodless. He singles out Mikkel Boe Følsgaard’s unexpectedly affecting portrayal of the lonely, naive king. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2012-nov-08-la-et-mn-royal-affair-20121109-story.html) ## Variety — Alissa Simon Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 16 February 2012. Festival review. Simon finds the historical drama handsome but uneven, with its love story and political thriller elements not always balanced. She singles out the court intrigues and the mad king’s escapades as more compelling than the romance, while praising the Czech locations and cinematography. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2012/film/markets-festivals/a-royal-affair-1117947106/) ## Slant Magazine — Andrew Schenker Rating 2/4. 3 November 2012. Schenker finds the period drama staid and its central romance unconvincing. He praises the more complex portrayal of the half-mad king and the moments when Enlightenment reforms challenge the royal council. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/a-royal-affair/) ## The Guardian — Henry Barnes Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 14 June 2012. Barnes finds the period drama confident but dour, and says it ultimately lacks passion. He particularly faults the barely simmering chemistry between Struensee and Caroline Mathilde. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/jun/14/a-royal-affair-review) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 8 November 2012. The critic calls it a compelling, terrific costume drama and an intimate love story. They praise the performances of Mads Mikkelsen, Alicia Vikander, and Mikkel Boe Følsgaard for bringing its central trio to life. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/royal-affair-review-love-intrigue-make-danish-delight-64356/) ## Paste — Annlee Ellingson Rating 7.8. 13 November 2012. Ellingson finds the film nuanced and compelling, with its romance inseparable from political upheaval. She praises Arcel’s deft interweaving of the love story and the reforms, while noting the slow build. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/a-royal-affair) ## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff Rating B. 17 February 2012. Festival review. The critic finds the film handsome and well-acted but too conventional to be especially challenging. Mads Mikkelsen’s subtle performance is singled out for elevating the familiar period drama. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/berlinale-2012-review-a-royal-affair-is-a-good-looking-but-unadventurous-period-drama-elevated-by-fine-performances-20120217/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 December 2012. Kermode finds the film a sophisticated, politically engaged romance that offers plenty for viewers seeking love and history. She especially praises the sensitive portrayal of Christian, while noting that Vikander struggles to convey Caroline’s intellectual brilliance. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/a-royal-affair-2012-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/a-royal-affair.md