Rob Roy

Starring: Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange, John Hurt, Tim Roth, Eric Stoltz, Andrew Keir, Brian Cox, Brian McCardie, Gilly Gilchrist, Jason Flemyng
Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Action, Adventure
1995

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: In 1713, Rob Roy (Liam Neeson) is wronged by a nobleman and embarks on a risky rebellion.

Review:

Tim: There's something about this movie that doesn't appeal to me. I'm not exactly sure why- its actually a really good film. It's a powerful drama about a real-life figure. It shows us a piece of Scotland's history as it tells an interesting story. Even still, it took me years and years to finally watch this movie. I liked it, but the idea of watching it again feels underwhelming. I don't think this hurts the movie, as it's definitely well-made.

Part of the challenge with this film (which is also a big part of its appeal) is the injustice done to Rob Roy MacGregor. It's hard to watch how he is taken advantage of, betrayed, and made to seem like the perpetrator when in fact, he's the victim. It's difficult to watch rich white men blatantly turn a blind eye to justice and seek to punish others. We definitely feel Rob Roy's outrage. The acts against his wife, his friends, his people- it's all a bit hard to stomach. That's part of the reason I wouldn't be interested in seeing this again. While you're watching the movie, though, that also creates compelling viewing. You are angry for this character and you want to see him triumphant over his enemies, despite facing great obstacles.

There's quite a few reasons that create this, but I want to highlight Tim Roth and John Hurt. These two men perform brilliantly, creating memorable characters that we absolutely hate. Hurt is aristocratic, unfeeling, disconnected from reality. And, we hate him for it. However, Roth steals the show- his performance is one of the most villainous, unlikable performances I've ever seen. Roth is a strong actor and he leans into the wickedness of this character so that we absolutely loathe him. That is one of the biggest emotions I felt during this film. Roth compels us to watch because he's just so awful. He's so good in his badness that he accounted for the film's sole Academy Award nomination- for Best Supporting Actor. He deserved the nomination, he's such an iconic villain here.

Liam Neeson is strong in the lead role. It might not be his most engaging performance, but he's believable as MacGregor and I enjoyed him in the part. I've never been much of a Jessica Lange fan and I didn't love her performance here. She's fine and she does have some nice moments, but as a whole, she left me cold. I never quite believed her in this role. I did enjoy seeing Eric Stoltz in his supporting performance, he's surprisingly good. It was fun seeing Brian Cox show up in his unlikable antagonistic performance. He doesn't quite elicit the same vitriol that Hurt or Roth does, but he definitely deserves his comeuppance. The rest of the cast works well, too. When I think about this film and the fact that I rated it quite highly despite not loving the experience of watching the movie, it's the cast that really stands out. To see all these actors deliver performances like this, you know you're watching something special.

Director Michael Caton-Jones crafts a well-made film. The cinematography is impressive, the sound works to amplify the story. The costumes work well, the set design feels appropriate and interesting. I do feel like the movie meanders far too much and takes it time. There's no reason for this film to be 2 hours and 19 minutes long. It's easily 20-25 minutes too long- not all that much happens, but Caton-Jones isn't in a hurry to get there. This film feels much more epic than it actually is. It's undoubtedly a bit of a grind to get through. None of this is overtly detrimental to the overall movie, but it does prevent it from getting anywhere close to greatness. Contrast this with a similar film- Braveheart- which is truly epic and powerful. Compared to films like that, this one's impact feels blunted. This is still a good movie and I know the choices made to tell a drama first were intentional, but it does hold the movie back at times. Caton-Jones needed to build a better sense of momentum to hold our attention throughout the long run time.

So, yes, I struggled at times with this film. However, I still rate it a 7.5. It's definitely on the lower end of that score, but it's absolutely better than just a "good" film. The movie is made with care and attention to detail. It tells an interesting true story and offers up strong performances, especially among its antagonists. It creates a "David and Goliath" situation where you love to root for the underdog. It offers a somewhat cathartic conclusion and you at least feel good about how the movie wraps up its story. Yes, the movie is overly long and needed far better pacing. However, Rob Roy definitely reflects the time period of its story- it might be slow and a bit boring, but it features unflinching injustice and forces good men (and women) to stand up despite those obstacles. That's a story worth seeing, every time.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Braveheart, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Michael Collins, Gangs of New York