Roger Ebert Gave Liam Neeson’s Underseen Historical Adventure A Near-Perfect Score – SlashFilm

Michael Caton-Jones’ Scottish historic drama “Rob Roy” — about the true-life people hero Rob Roy MacGregor — was launched in the USA on April 7, 1995, solely a few month and a half earlier than Mel Gibson’s Scottish historic drama “Braveheart.” The coincidence of their releases has linked the 2 movies as twins, forcing all essays and critics to attract comparisons. The “twin movie” phenomenon is widespread and contains such historic pairings as “Antz” and “A Bug’s Life,” “Deep Impression” and “Armageddon,” “The Status” and “The Illusionist,” and “Olympus Has Fallen” and “White Home Down.” 

In my view, “A Bug’s Life,” “Deep Impression,” “The Status,” and “White Home Down” are all superior to their counterparts. 

And a few would say that “Rob Roy” is superior to the way more in style “Braveheart.” It is definitely the extra traditionally correct movie, as “Braveheart” is infamous for being one of many least traditionally correct movies in Hollywood historical past. It is also extra intimate, working on a smaller scale and a smaller price range. Rob Roy MacGregor is performed by Liam Neeson, and he, as he all the time does, brings an intense, quiet soulfulness to his performances that makes a people hero right into a relatable, romantic, and infrequently melancholic human. He was positioned reverse an incredible villain within the type of Archibald Cunningham, a foppish aristocrat with unmatched mastery in swordfighting. Tim Roth performs Cunningham, and he was nominated for an Academy Award for his efficiency. 

Roger Ebert was very optimistic on “Rob Roy,” giving it three-and-a-half stars, calling it “a splendid, rousing historic journey, an instance of what can occur when the most effective course, appearing, writing, and technical credit are dropped at bear on what may appear to be shopworn materials.” He cherished the previous-world chivalry on show, the sense of journey.

Probably the most notable element about “Rob Roy” is the swordfighting. The scenes whereby Tim Roth’s character bests foes on the tip of his blade are exhilarating and brutal, each elegant and lethal. The swordfighting is so putting that Roger Ebert started his overview mentioning them, writing that “I believed I had seen sufficient sword fights in motion pictures to final a lifetime, however I used to be fallacious. The sword battle in ‘Rob Roy’ reinvents the train, and the film itself brings scorching purple blood to the costume style.” Excessive reward certainly. 

The plot of “Rob Roy” sounds, when boiled right down to its fundamentals, fairly boring on paper. It is largely about how Rob Roy takes out a mortgage from an English aristocrat (John Damage), however whose mortgage cash is stolen by Archibald Cunningham, leaving Rob Roy on the hook. In regards to the story, Ebert wrote: 

“This story define may have produced yet one more drained historic epic with yeomen dashing round on horses, quaffing ale and consuming burnt sheep with each arms, whereas their betters practiced the minuet. […] As an alternative, within the arms of director Michael Caton-Jones, it produces intense character research. Liam Neeson, tall and grand, makes a simple hero as Rob Roy.”

However Ebert, as so many filmgoers had been, was most impressed by Roth. He famous that Cunningham was all effete bluster on the surface, but additionally that he lined up a sure diploma of depraved, interesting cynicism. Ebert continued: 

“What’s intriguing is the way in which his exterior is known as a disguise: In actual fact, he is among the deadliest sword fighters in England, and a sexual outlaw with an insatiable urge for food, who boasts, ‘Love is a dunghill, and I’m however a [rooster] that climbs upon it to crow.'”

That is some wonderful writing.

Ebert ends his overview with one other prolonged description of the swordfighting, notably a climactic confrontation between Rob Roy and Archibald Cunningham, two males with very completely different personalities, and therefore very completely different preventing types. He wrote:

“Cunningham chooses a rapier, Rob Roy a broadsword (their weapons replicate their personalities), and the battle is punctuated by passages of useless silence, apart from heavy respiratory. They develop into very drained. They’re each wounded. The pauses develop longer, till the duel looks as if a chess match during which thought counts for greater than motion. It is among the nice motion sequences in film historical past, and ‘Rob Roy’ is a wonderful leisure.” 

Excessive reward certainly. “Rob Roy,” it needs to be talked about, additionally sported a really spectacular forged, together with Jessica Lange as MacGregor’s spouse, and Eric Stoltz as an in poor health-fated compatriot. Brian Cox, Jason Flemyng, and Shirley Henderson (the prolific actress who performed Babu Frik) additionally seem. 

“Rob Roy” was a modest hit, making $58.7 million on a mid-vary $28 million price range. It was nearly instantly overshadowed by “Braveheart” a couple of months later, nevertheless, a $72 million movie that made a blockbuster $209 million on the field workplace. “Braveheart” would go on to be nominated for 10 Academy Awards, profitable 4, together with Greatest Image and Greatest Director. “Rob Roy” type of turned a footnote to “Braveheart.” By the way, Roger Ebert additionally gave “Braveheart” three-and-a-half stars. 

Today, “Rob Roy” is discovered simply sufficient on varied streaming platforms. It is on MGM+, and likewise free companies like Tubi and the Roku Channel. Ebert favored it, and he usually knew what he was speaking about.