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Rob Roy | Year: 1995 Directed: - Michael Caton-Jones Actors/Actresses: - Liam Neeson - Jessica Lange Great Scot! (pun intended) I had seen the first half hour of Rob Roy a couple of years ago, but for some reason -- I can't imagine why -- I didn't stick with it. I had always wanted to pick it up again and, finally, got around to it last night. What a fabulous movie! It is so refreshing to see a hero who does the right thing in spite of the obvious consequences. I'm aware that this may seem simple or simple-minded, but it's important; righteousness is not easy. I was embarrassed that found myself so often saying "Come on MacGregor, take the easy way out. It's not worth it." It was also interesting to see the no-so-buried anti-abortion pitch as well. Liam Nesson is his usual wonderful self, and Tim Roth was phenomenal as perhaps the most despicable of despicable villains (Even his name is perfect: "Archibald Cunningham"). Jessica Lange, who I'm rather unfamiliar with, was fabulous as Mary MacGregor; she was sexy, sensual, beautiful, gentle, and just as strong as Rob Roy at the same time (which is, of course, what makes her so attractive). The cinematography and landscapes in this movie are as spectacular as the sword fights. I thought that the battle scenes were reasonably realistic; important characters were killed by extras, and heroes and villains did not have the laser-guided-"smart" muskets that seem to have been issued to Daniel Day Lewis & Co in The Last of the Mohicans. All in all, a wonderful, wonderful film, that, to say the least should have given Braveheart a run for its money. A terrific "small" story. I must admit I was a little disappointed the first time I saw "Rob Roy." It had been mistakenly advertised as "Death Wish meets Last of the Mohicans." That led me to believe it would be an "epic" similar to LOTM with lots of pitched battles and bodice-ripping romantic scenes. Instead, it was a very small story of one man's quest for honor. There were no pitched battles between highlanders and redcoats, there's barely even a skirmish. In fact, it was not an epic in any sense of the word. As a huge fan of "Last of the Mohicans," I was disappointed by its small story. It was upon watching it a second time, that I started to appreciate it as the fine piece of filmmaking it really is: the beautiful scenery, the low key score, the touching love story between a man and his wife (that's refreshing), the very intelligent script, the witty dialogue, the rugged, realistic look of the actors (notice how Liam Neeson didn't shrink from facial hair like Daniel Day-Lewis in LOTM or Mel Gibson in Braveheart), and, of course, those villains. All three of them! Tim Roth's character may have been the most memorable, but John Hurt's and Brian Cox' were just as nefariously rotten. It also contains the greatest sword-fighting scene I have ever seen. (The director didn't cheapen it either with some sort of "Rocky-like" comeback on the part of the hero.) Overall, a first-rate story of love and honor which I foolishly failed to notice the first time I saw it. I am very glad I gave it a second chance. A great addition to DVD releases I saw this movie in the Theater and thought it a better film than Braveheart! It is sort of unfair to compare the films because of Braveheart's tremendous scale in its battle scenes, however; I found myself more emotionally connected to the characters in this film (compared to Braveheart). The Villain in Rob Roy is easy to hate, as he stands for so many things despicable. This role is wonderfully played by Tim Roth. Jessica Lange gives an impassioned performance, my favorite of her many roles. Liam Neeson, of coarse, is a big lug of a hero and manages to set things right in a wonderfully dramatic climatic confrontation with the arch villain. The character develop is great, the plot is rich and the scenery is spectacular. I instantly added this film to my permanent DVD collection upon its release. Highly recommended. Buy Rob Roy at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Rob Roy Search with the Priority Search Engine on Rob Roy This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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