Plunkett & Macleane

Plot synopsis:
1748 England is infested with highwaymen - men such as Will Plunkett, a London-based criminal working with his partner Rob. When Rob is killed by Thief Taker General Chance after a botched heist outside debtors prison, Plunkett must find a way to retrieve a large ruby that his partner had swallowed What he doesn't know is that the incident was witnessed by James Macleane, a socialite from the upper echelons of society, who had found himself in debtor's prison. Macleane sees this ruby as his ticket out of debt, and after narrowly escaping discovery by Chance, he decides to exhume Rob's body.
Plunkett is waiting at the cemetery and forces Macleane to give the ruby to him. When they are both found by Chance's men, Plunkett swallows the ruby himself. While in Newgate Prison, the two form a partnership that utilizes Plunkett's criminal know-how and Macleane's social status to bribe their way out of prison. This tentative partnership leads to an unlikely alliance, deemed "The Gentlemen Highwaymen", where they gladly relieve the gentry of their possessions.
When Macleane falls for the beautiful Lady Rebecca, the niece of the powerful Lord Gibson, their plans to escape to America go awry. The pair part ways after a disastrous attempt to rescue Lady Rebecca from forced exodus, which leads to the death of Lord Gibson, and the discovery that Macleane's has gambled away all of their funds.
Macleane is eventually captured and tried for Lord Gibson's murder, earning him a date with the gallows. Plunkett orchestrates a daring escape, aided by Lady Rebecca and the flamboyant Lord Rochester. After a tense chase through the city sewers that sees Plunkett exact revenge upon Thief taker Chance, the three escape to freedom.

Tags: revenge, satire

Review:
Far from being historically naive, Plunkett and Macleane is a very cheeky comedy which uses modern touches to bring humour and vibrance to the story.
This is the story of downtrodden highwayman Plunkett (Robert Carlisle) and Gentleman-fallen-on-hard-times Captain Macleane (Jonny Lee Miller), and how they get together and rob the aristo pigs.
I picked this off the rental shelf because I loved Robert Carlyle and Jonny Lee Miller in 'Trainspotting.' This is a phenomenal movie; it has action, romance, suspense, intrigue and wit.
It's not pretty, but it's very believable and prepares you to accept the lengths to which people will go to clamber from the muck to a better life.Thrown together through circumstance, Macleane, a semi-respectable gentleman who spends too much on women and gambling and Plunkett, a common criminal with more than a few tricks up his sleeve, find that they can rob together successfully as partners.
A refreshing change in these days of Merchant Ivory productions and hey-nonny snooze.Then there's the obligatory love interest, Lady Rebecca (Liv Tyler) and the vicious baddie, in the form of the Thief Taker General Chance, played with sadistic relish by Ken Stott.
Always funny and compelling as an action movie, (the love story is left firmly in second place) Plunkett & Macleane is great fun.
Though the efforts of the excellent cast and director Jake Scott, we have another British hit on our hands.All in all, to blatantly rip off a line from the film:"It was fantastic and I had a bloody good laugh!".
And Johnny Lee Miller, no longer with his Sick Boy from 'Trainspotting' blond hair, plays his dashing gentlemen highway man with the right about of humour and sensitivity that it is easy to see why Liv Tylers Rebecca falls for him.
Plunkett and Macleane also has some very polished performances, especially from he-who-can-do-no-wrong man Robert Carlyle, Johnny Lee Miller and the stunningly beautiful Liv Tyler.
Although the music in the dance scene were obviously modernized and also the colors of Liv Tyler's clothers (although it IS pretty!), it fit quite perfectly.If you just want a good time, you should check this out.
I've read several poor or temperate reviews on this film, pulling it apart for it's period errors or unlikely plot development, but no one seems to mention the rather intriguing character transition which features how a hardened, down-on-his-luck scoundrel (Carlyle) transforms into a rather noble, selfless hero and how the pretty-boy, cowardly vagrant (Miller)develops a real taste for the life of a highway man once he "gets the feel of it."  Filled with lots of bad-boy humor, lavish scenes (particularly the use of "fireworks" by former apothacary Plunkett) and a charmingly ecclectic musical score, Plunkett & Macleane is a fast-paced,highly enjoyable piece of film making.
(However, the weak of stomach should really be warned of one or two scenes.) Robert Carlyle and Jonny Lee Miller pull of a brilliant double act and Ken Stott does a excellent villain.
This mixed in with superb costumes and a few decent action scenes makes for a very enjoyable watch.However, the big let-down here for me is that in having 'The Gentleman Highwayman' there was a real opportunity for some good dialogue but the script was definitely lacking in punchiness and there were few belly laughs.
Once you have gotten into the open frame of mind that the movie asks for, it's a riot: action by the bucketload and alternately funny and oddly moving as Plunkett and Macleane's partnership changes from a wary 'marriage of convenience' to true friendship.
The soundtrack on first play may seem out of place in a costume drama/action/comedy, but one re-watching shows it is perfectly at home in giving the the script it's drama.My one gripe about this film is that it isn't shown enough on TV!
...WHAT A GREAT MOVIE!!!Nonstop action, an old-yet-modern-look 18th century, Alan Cumming as screamingly-dressed Lord Rochester (and he stole the movie!), fantastic set design, surreal elements, refreshing camera work, and a *must-have* soundtrack (go buy it....NOW!!=) all combine for a movie that may not have made it to the top in mainstream release, but may well be ending up on cult-film lists in years to come......
It doesn't take itself seriously and Jonny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle are great together, Liv Tyler's good as well although her English accent is dodgy!!The film has everything for someone who just wants to go the cinema to enjoy themselves.
Iain Robertson's camp portrayal of the well to do gentleman is brilliant and the two brothers who are also part of the upper class set are hilarious!As the trailer for 'The Spy who Shagged Me' is pupported to say...."If you see one other film"....this Spring make it Plunkett and Macleane.
A wise choice indeed, as I was in a bad mood that day and this movie really cheered me up.It's London, it's 1748, Robert Carlisle and Johnny Lee Miller play the titular highwaymen from opposite ends of the social spectrum.
Ken Stott plays the truly vile Chance, the police inspector determined to see the men hang at any cost, and one of the nastiest villains in recent film history.Jake Scott (son of Ridley, nephew of Tony) directs with a style that fuses Gothic tones with post-modernism.
Amazingly, Jake Scott would not direct another film until 11 years after this got released.There is a strange rumor persistent on the Internet that Plunkett & Macleane (inspired by true story, don't you know) began life as a completely different film.
While I have no idea what Jones may or may not have recorded for this film, there is no doubt that Armstrong's work is utterly amazing, probably his career best.Plunkett & Macleane seems to have fallen into obscurity since its release.
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.
Think again you intolerable bunch.This film has it all, quality acting, very english and very funny humour, a little horrible in parts (especially the bad boy and his eye into the head antics) - Sorry to you if you just didn't get it, you need to sort yourself out and start watching films that are worth watching and you'll understand what im on about.Im in love with films ranging from Casablanca to Mad Max to Star Wars trilogies, love (good) war movies, love action, adventure, period dramas and suspense..
I was at the video store, debating on which video to hire and a young boy said to me "Hire that movie, it's great!" I thought that if somebody would let their 10 year old boy see a movie like that, it must be pretty good.Robert Carlyle was brilliant as usual, adding that High Standard feel to the movie.
I wasn't too familiar with Jonny Lee Miller's work but he put in a great performance and topped the film off.
I thought Liv Tyler would have had a more prominent role, but was not a total disappointment.The film's best attributes lied in the way in which it portrayed the era it was set in.
Robert Carlyle is at his best as the horrible beggar with a kind heart, Plunkett,  and Jonny Lee Miller is gorgeous as the sweet and devillishly funny gentleman highwayman, MaCleane.
A very watchable film, and one which was eagerly awaited having seen the trailer a number of times.The whole thing looks superb, from the ludicrous efforts of the effete upper class to distance themselves from the mediocrity, to the lower class scum just trying to keep their heads above the filth, the film captures the spirit of the 18th century brilliantly.Jonny Lee Miller plays Maclean extremely well, though the part does not exactly stretch him, and Robert Carlyle seems a little wasted on Plunkett, Miller's highwayman colleague.The real star of the show was undoubtedly Ken Stott, who plays Mr Chance (a kind of 1740's chief of police) with an evil glee that set him out from the rest of the cast.A great film, and anyone that enjoys the colour and style of Peter Greenaway's films will love the look of this, although the thinness of the plot becomes apparent before the 2 hours are up.Well worth a viewing..
It's effects are exceedingly good considering the movie is set in the mid 18th Century, and all the grittiness and disgusting filth of England at the time, is captured very well.
Jonny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle are brilliant as always, and the rest of the cast, especially Alan Cumming as a flirtatious fop,  are also highly entertaining.
The film is visually spectacular in places, and is a mixture of comedy, action and drama, with a love interest provided by Liv Tyler with a shaky english accent.
But for Jake (son of Ridley) Scott's first attempt, it's well worth the ticket price.Captain James MaCleane (Jonny Lee Miller looking as good as ever) may be a gentleman, but he hasn't got the money or the clothes to prove it.
Who happens to also have caught the eye of the Thief Taker General.The plot is original enough, the casting is excellent (especially Alan Cumming as the drag-queenish Lord Rochester, Carlyle and Miller--also together in "Trainspotting," they haven't lost their dynamic), the costuming is fantastic, the makeup is outrageous, and the music is hard-edged techno with a strangely classical undertone.
Decadent, sleazy, and violent, Scott's debut film makes for an entertaining evening at the movies.As MaCleane says, "I was terrific, and it was a bloody good laugh!".
I was persuaded to see by a friend who's main reason for going was to see Johnny Lee Miller which should have been warning enough of what to expect.I knew little about the film before I saw it but was expecting at least a good performance from the leading actors and at worst an acceptable action film.
The plot was dull, the performances were uninspired and flat and even Robert Carlyle couldn't save the script.Basically the film is about two highwaymen, who steal stuff and try not to get caught.
Really fun, really different movie, which is exactly my favorite kind.Excellent acting, excellent costumes, excellent plot, excellent action, excellent production values, and, for a change, it looks like everybody a few hundred years ago was not taking two long hot showers everyday.
Every time I seem to ask people, have they watched Plunkett and Macleane, they never seem to have heard of it, which I always find surprising, as it's so damn good!
And it reunites Trainspotting stars Johnny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle in the title roles, plus adds Liv Tyler as a bit of 'love interest.' It's one of those rare films which mixes action, adventure and adult humour extremely well and pulls everything off.
Will Plunkett (Robert Carlyle) And Captain James Macleane (Johnny lee Miller) are two thieves in eighteenth century Britain.
The characters are based on two genuine highwaymen of the eighteenth century."Plunkett And Macleane" was filmed at the height of the early popularity of Carlyle he'd made an impression as Begbie in "Trainspotting" and followed that with the hit movie "The Full Monty".
He gets the best lines and scenes (including a duel) As for Lee Miller's Macleane I'm not sure his character is meant to be as funny as he seems.
His debut is directed with energy and enthusiasm, which keeps the film fizzling along, although without the strong cast he assembled the results might not have worked as well.In short if you're looking for an easy enjoyable film to pass an hour and a half then you could do a lot worse than Plunkett and Macleane.
The reasoning for this collaboration is that the gentleman, Maclean (Jonny Lee Miller), can use his more aristicratic demeanor to target rich victims and the more experienced thief Plunkett (Robert Carlyle) can lead the robberies.
The bad guy, Mr Chance, is played by Ken Stott and although his acting is fine, I never really took him that seriously...he seemed to have something missing.This film manages to waste almost all of the potential of the basic storyline and fails to develop the characters in an interesting way.
Like The Duellists every frame could be a painting.The writing - Charles McKeown, who co-wrote Brazil and Baron Munchausen with Terry Gilliam, contributed to the screenplay and it shows.Finally - the acting is uniformly great but a special mention to Liv Tyler whose accent is spot-on for me (again the critics seemed to expect  Emma Thompson) and who creates a very cool and elegant character without seeming out of place.I have yet to meet someone who has viewed this film and can explain the reception it got on release..
Robert Caryle is good as Plunkett and Johnny Lee Miller was okay as Macleane.
We picked this up because of the stars (Jonny Lee Miller & Robert Carlisle of "Trainspotting"), and because we like costume, period films.
What truly makes this film enjoyable is the character involvement, the odd but delightful use of modern music coupled with an older society, along with some humor and unpredictable experiences.The movie begins very slowly, and I feared that all the horrible reviews were correct.
This trend is also interesting and unique for the way the young wave of English actors like Miller and Carlyle are a part of the creative mix, not just actors.I agree "P and M" was a bit uneven, but it was also an accessible historical film that was a nice change from the world of British historical movie.Mind you, I loved "An Ideal Husband" and "The Winslow Boy" but there is room for more than one kind of historical film..
The relationship between Macleane and Gibson is poor and the final 20 minutes is just nonsense  pure and simple nonsense.Miller is good and Carlyle is worth watching despite the feeling he's slumming it and is capable of more.
The few pleasant surprises are Cummings and comedy duo Armstrong & Miller (who are better than what they're given here), but all are underused and not as good as they should be.Overall this film tries too hard.
Because the director of Plunkett & Macleane (Jake Scott) is the son of Ridley Scott, I expected even more surface than usual (the movie visually reminds me of a 1980 Ridley Scott film, Legend, in its cluttered, almost shimmering food and jewels).
Still, if you don't ask much from the movie, these small moments do work, in their simple formula.I think it is to Robert Carlyle's and Ken Stott's credit that despite the lack of depth given to their characters (Plunkett and Mr. chance, respectively) they can still manage to pull a somewhat haunted past behind their character's eyes.
Fortunately,the main leads (Carlyle, Miller & Tyler) are charming enough in their own right and this saves the film from total disaster.The films other main failing is that it tries too consciously to be hip, with 90's style dialogue in a 18th century setting.On balance...I didn't feel I'd wasted my time/money seeing it, but equally I'd have been just as happy watching it on TV/Video in a few months time..
Focus seems to be strictly on style rather than substance with Plunkett & Macleane, a British costume-drama cum comedy swashbuckler set in the 18th century.
I was very impressed with the trailer for this film, starring Robert Carlyle and Jonny Lee Miller as two highwaymen robbing the rich...
The use of music (by Craig Armstrong, strings arranger to the stars) is extremely good and the support lent by Alan Cumming and Alan Stott as, respectively an over-the-top dandy and a dour "thief-taker" rounds out the film a bit more.Unfortunately, Liv Tyler, as the love interest (who actually gets to wield some guns), has a pretty underwritten part.
And despite their best efforts Carlyle and Miller never quite lift the script above the "mildly engrossing" level.Basically, for a film which advertises itself as being about action and characters, it doesn't have enough of either.
Director Jake Scott will probably do a lot better in the future.Plunkett & Macleane is ultimately a film that, despite trying its hardest, fails to deliver the goods.
This was marketed as " A historical action comedy featuring highwaymen " so right away the production team are painting themselves in to a corner by trying to make a film that dares to be a little bit different but at the same time if they don't pull it off then they're going to end up risking a movie that is going to be a big bad mess Right away when the opening credits have finished we're shown the visual style of director Jake Scott the son of Ridley and whatever skills Riley Scott has it doesn't seem to be running in the family .
It stars Robert Carlyle {Plunkett}, Jonny Lee Miller {Macleane}, Liv Tyler, Ken Stott, Michael Gambon & Alan Cumming.
The movie portrays two rogues (Jonny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle) stealing from the rich and keeping the spoils until one falls for an aristocrat woman (Liv Tyler), throwing their plans into flux.
An attempt to do a costume movie for the "Trainspotting" generation, "Plunkett & Macleane" are a pair of highwaymen in the England of 1748 - one (Jonny Lee Miller) a fairly posh type, the other (Robert Carlyle) more of the streets, and meeting after the former has been arrested [again] and witnessed a colleague of the latter being brutally murdered by the Thief Taker General.
This would be the sort of movie I would love - unfortunately, I have to warn anyone expecting "Plunkett & Macleane" to Stand and Deliver on this premise that they're going to be disturbed and disappointed.This movie has a great plot concept at its core, and could have worked well as a historical comedy-adventure, but spends far too much time and effort being black, bleak, and frankly disgusting to be very funny (eye-gouging, grave-robbing, disemboweling, maggots, roaches, and mud...and that's just the first twenty minutes!).The up-sides are a good cast, well-done costumes, and a fair amount of action, though not enough flashy highway robbery, in my opinion.