Plunkett & Macleane (1999)

No one will be neutral about Plunkett & Macleane. Either you go with its notion of cheeky, stylish fun or you want to grab first-time director Jake Scott by the ear and slap him silly.

Your inclination may depend on whether you recall his dad Ridley's own directing debut, The Duellists (1977), and savor the correspondences. Dad took a Joseph Conrad tale of the Napoleonic Wars, cast it with the ultra-contemporary Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel, and filmed it with a swoopingly mobile camera. Son Jake has made a feisty period piece about a pair of thieves (Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller) in 1748 London and filled it with blatant anachronisms. A decadent aristo (Alan Cumming), asked whether he "still swings both ways," replies, "I swing every way!" A ballroom full of revelers dances the minuet (or is it the gavotte?) while our ears--if not theirs--are filled with a rock ballad. And so forth.

Is this sophomoric? Maybe. But it's also often fresh and inventive. Why shouldn't a filmmaker be allowed to speak directly to a contemporary consciousness, even flaunt it, as long as he also delivers startling imagery and convincing period detail? The solid cast includes Michael Gambon as a corrupt magistrate, Ken Stott as a very nasty enforcer named Mr. Chance (who favors a thumb through the eye socket and into the brain as a mode of execution), and Terence Rigby as a philosophical jailer; even Liv Tyler looks more interesting than usual. Plunkett & Macleane is in the end pretty frivolous, but it's a lively debut nonetheless. --Richard T. Jameson Amazon.com

It won't win awards, but bloody good fun nonetheless.

First all, considering the region 1 version is out of print, you're best renting it before spending up to $60 on a used copy. I was lucky to have rented it and asked Blockbuster to sell it to me for the remaining retail price (any BBV can do this if you want to keep a movie), paying only US $21.99.

I rented "Plunkett & Maccleane" at the Blockbuster where I work, looking for a period action type of film with a little flavor, sick and tired of dramatic tales of split personalties and celebrity flim flams that are polluting all rental stores. This was exactly what I needed.

The story entails the adventure of a gritty thief, William Plunkett, and want-to-be gentleman, Captain James Macleane. The two unlikely "heroes" are forced into cooperation when they're captured trying to recover a swallowed ruby from Plunkett's dead accomplice. Plunkett, swallowing the ruby once more, teams up with the well-spoken Macleane to exchange the jewel for freedom.

The two plot a scheme, using some of Plunkett's bounty, to set up Macleane with fancy clothes and a good address to convince others of his gentleman status. In fancy dining and gambling parties, Macleane, with the assistance of the 2nd Earl of Rochester (Alan Cumming), discovers who were most worth stealing. Later that night, the "gentlemen highwaymen" rob said worthy targets.

Macleane becomes tangled when he loses a grip on his gambling problem, and he falls for lady Rebecca (Liv Tyler), the modern woman in an unmodern time. Plunkett, becoming angry with Macleane's attitude and his rivalry with the hateful enforcement figure known as Mr. Chance (Ken Stott), leads to troubling times between the highwaymen.

I particularly enjoyed the characters the film draws. Stott is so convincing as Chance you almost hate him, even if he is fictitious. Liv Tyler's performance is the best in the film, as our two main characters aren't brooding with depth, their chemistry is undeniable. This being one of the earliest of Focus Features (before USA Films merger with Good Machine productions), it's a title I found myself wanting to watch over and over.

Not to mention, the score is also remarkable. Since the film never takes itself too seriously, the score does the same, with plenty of electronica and electronic-influenced symphonies from the hand of Craig Armstrong.

So, rent it first to be sure this is what you're looking for. If you come to want it, best wishes on acquiring a Region 1 copy, as it's out of print (check the outrageous used prices!) March 14, 2006

Sometimes Silly Is What You Want!

PLUNKETT & MACLEANE has a purpose: entertainment. And during a season of rush and deadlines this little film provides enough anachronistic pleasures to fill a relaxing evening.

The story is simple: two social polar opposites with reasons for distaste for society join forces to rob the rich. And all the rest is fantasy and period tongue in cheek humor. Jonny Lee Miller is the cleaner of the two and Robert Carlyle the scruffy intuitive thief. The two fall under different influences piloted by such fine actors as Liv Tyler, Alan Cumming, and Michael Gambon.

This is high rolling farce with a silly but fun musical score and wonderful period costumes and mannerisms. It is not deep, it is not particularly good, but it IS entertaining. This kind of fluff leaves you whistling with a smile. Grady Harp, December 05 December 23, 2005

A mixed review...

The big-screen debut of director Scott, whose only other directorial credit is the short-lived television series "The Hunger," is the son of the sometimes-brilliant Ridley Scott. Reuniting Carlyle (who charmed the world in *The Full Monty*) and Miller, who appeared together in *Trainspotting*, it is a somewhat disjointed affair that can be a pleasure to watch, nonetheless. With spectacular art direction, and some dazzling effects, the camerawork can be dizzying as well as captivating. Scott interjects certain modern elements of music and cinematic that can have a jarring effect in this period piece. Aside from a deplorable title (the name sounds too much like *Tango and Cash* or *Turner and Hooch*), this tale of an ill-matched pair of highwaymen, as lush and romantic as it is, leaves something to be desired. With elements of *Robin Hood*, *Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid*, as well as *Batman*, it is an ambitious undertaking.The leads seem to do their best, and are engaging as the rogues, but the story rapidly becomes preposterous and you often find yourself wondering if you missed something. Then there's Liv Tyler. What can we say about Liv? That she's very good for her age? That someday she may be a fine actress? The truth of the matter is, that except for her lineage (such as it is), she is only one of the flood of lovely and somewhat inept starlets that have had a brief moment of attention lately. Always a pleasure to look at, she would do well to introduce a new facial expression (or two) into her repertoire. Alan Cumming, who won the Tony for his portrayal of the emcee in *Cabaret*, is flamboyantly superb as Lord Rochester, Claire Rushbrook has a gem of a role as the wealthy and syphilitic Lady Estelle, and Ken Stott is despicable as the sadistic chief of police. Shot in Prague, Spain and London, the locations serve the film perfectly, but the pop-synth music is at odds with the period, and even though it occasionally adds excitement, overall, it's distracting. Not a bad debut, overall, and a hint of the surprises Scott has in store for us. January 23, 2005

Highly amusing, but don't expect accuracy.

The first time I saw this film, I was deeply confused. Just what was up with the costumes? And the music? The second time through, when I actually watched the screen instead of the sewing machine, it made so much more sense. Aha! They weren't goign for accuracy at all! I can go with this, support it even, despite the fact that I am one of the biggest costume snobs I've ever met. Just go with it.

The biggest thing I noticed was that the only ones that got the seriously wrong costumes were the highest, smartest set, the ones that knew the rules and broke every one of them. In every part of their lives. I actually saw it as a way of pointing out to a population that probably would have seen truly accurate costume as merely quaint or stuffy, and that was not the attitude these people had. So you add a few modern touches, and really, it doesn't detract from the general mood they're trying to convey.

The same thing kind of applies to the music, but you know, it's really just a good soundtrack. Apparently, baroque and techno can do quite well together, and have a lot of fun in the process. I'm still upset that the jail scene song isn't on the CD though.

I find it deeply, terrribly funny that Alan Cummings' part bore the name of Rochester. The only other infamous Rochester I can think of was a 17th century poet who wrote the dirtiest, most obscene, most openly bi-sexual lyrics I've read that date to before the 20th century. So the eyebrow piercing was maybe a little much, but hey, it looked just swell on him with those incredible coats.

Plot? Who needs plot? Seriously though, there was one. It's just a very, very common one. Think Robin Hood, or pirates, or simply highwaymen. They all have the same plot, and it never goes out of style. There's a reason for that--it's all great fun, and sometimes you get a moral, sometimes you don't, and sometimes they dance the Tyburn Jig and all the pretty ladies weep. It all amounts to the same thing.The point is always just to have fun, and a good laugh. September 28, 2004

Pretentious and Predictable

There is real plot in this film, it just follows two bumbling theives. Actually the two actors are the only aspect that make this movie watchable, just barely however.

The self-concious humour ends up being incredibly pretentious, it even seems to revel in the fact that it is pretentious, and somehow that makes the movie selfaware and hip.

Some people might leap to this films defense and claim that the forgetable plot was part of the grand scheme to keep it fun and exciting. The problem is asides from the an uninvolving plot, this movie is extremely predictable, which further deminishes the already trite affair. June 6, 2003

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