Cast: Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller, Ken Stott, Liv Tyler, Michael Gambon, Alan Cumming
Director: Jake Scott
Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Rupert Harvey
Screenplay: Robert Wade & Neal Purvis and Charles McKeown, based on a screenplay by Selwyn Roberts
Cinematography: John Mathieson
Music: Craig Armstrong
U.S. Distributor: USA Films
Despite employing a modern techno score (that sounds like it was lifted from Run Lola Run) and MTV-style editing, there's something old fashioned and enjoyable about the pure spirit of adventure embraced by Plunkett & Macleane, an 18th century tale about a pair of bandits who become folk heroes. There's nothing deep or ambitious about this production - it's simply a rousing account of the exploits of two likable rogues and the bad-to-the-bone thief catcher who's on their trail. At 95 minutes, Plunkett & Macleane clocks in at the perfect length - pointless chase scenes aren't included for the sole purpose of adding to the running time.
Those who are typically turned off by period pieces need not worry. The costumes and settings may date to England circa 1748, but the sensibilities, attitudes, and approach are turn-of-the-millennium. Jake Scott directs with flair and style. He keeps things moving; no one will mistake this for Masterpiece Theater or Merchant/Ivory. Plunkett and Macleane are sympathetic robbers. They're greedy, but not nasty or sadistic. They steal from those who have more than enough, and do so with courtesy and panache - so much so that they become known as the "Gentlemen Highwaymen" and are liked and respected not only by the common folk but even by some of those from whom they steal. With every new heist, their almost mythical status is elevated. Like the bandits of the Old West, they become romantic figures. Women are especially enraptured.
The film opens with an unforgettable shot of a debtors' jail in Knightbridge. The gothic structure is surrounded by tombstones, and a thick fog is rolling in. Wolves can be seen in the background. The lone prisoner in this spare, squalid building is Captain James Macleane (Jonny Lee Miller), who lacked the financial wherewithal to pay back his creditors. Suddenly, Macleane's jail becomes the center of a pitched battle between a group of outlaws and the soldiers pursuing them. During the fray, Macleane is freed, joins up with one of the thieves - an unkempt man named Plunkett (Robert Carlyle) - then promptly ends up in another prison after the authorities catch him. But Plunkett has swallowed a large ruby, and, once he is able to pass it, he and Macleane buy their freedom. They then hatch a plan to strike it rich by stealing from others.
The framework is relatively simple. They will buy new clothing, rent an expensive house, and Macleane will act the part of a nobleman (not a stretch, since he is one by birth). At parties, he'll identify the wealthiest guests, then he and Plunkett will lie in wait for them afterwards. Using money he has saved up from past jobs, Plunkett purchases all the necessary accoutrements to facilitate their ruse, and soon their scheme is working perfectly. But they quickly make some powerful enemies, including the dangerous General Chance (Ted Stott), and Macleane falls in love with one of his victims, the fiercely independent Lady Rebecca (Liv Tyler). Plus, while the duo is making some money, their prey has a distressing tendency to wear fake jewelry instead of the real stuff. So, instead of needing a few quick jobs to establish a comfortable retirement fund, they require a significantly longer stint in this dangerous career.
Plunkett & Macleane reunites Trainspotting co-stars Robert Carlyle and Jonny Lee Miller, although their characters here don't resemble the reprobates they portrayed in the 1996 cult favorite. Carlyle, who can play a charming protagonist (The Full Monty) or an evil villain (Ravenous or the upcoming Bond film, The World Is Not Enough) with equal skill, turns up the charisma for this performance. Miller is equally affable. And there's an easygoing sense of camaraderie between them that never seems forced. As a result, we like these two even though they're playing a couple of men who make a living by waving a gun at people and taking their money. (But then we also liked Bonnie and Clyde.) Ken Stott, adept at getting the audience to despise Mr. Chance, sinks his teeth into the bad guy role. Liv Tyler, who is appearing in one of two consecutive period pieces (the other being Martha Fiennes' Onegin), is given a limited enough exposure that her lack of range doesn't damage the movie (although her faux British accent is painful). Michael Gambon (forever best known for his role in The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover) has a supporting role as Lord Gibson, Lady Rebecca's uncle. And Alan Cumming is a foppish noble with a surprisingly solid backbone.
Parts of Plunkett & Macleane don't hold together upon close examination, but that doesn't prevent the movie from maintaining a sense of excitement. Even with the various contrivances demanded by the plot, it's still an involving picture. (Almost all movies contain such contrivances, but it's much easier to overlook them in energetic, engaging efforts like this than it is in stillborn productions, where their presence is magnified.) Visually, Plunkett & Macleane is a stylistic success, although Scott (making his feature debut) is overly fond of quick cuts. The film is also well paced; there aren't any dead spots to kill the momentum, and a fair amount of humor is stirred into the mix (sometimes of the laugh-aloud variety). The biggest challenge facing Plunkett & Macleane will be finding an audience. Entertaining as the picture is, it is being released in such a low-key fashion that many potential viewers may not find out about it until it's available on video. That's unfortunate, because Plunkett & Macleane is good enough to be appreciated during its theatrical run.
© 1999 James Berardinelli