The time is the mid 1740’s. The place is London.
Debtor prisons are over-flowing and law-abiding citizens find themselves victimized on a daily basis by legions of cut-throat, marauding thieves.
Plunkett & Macleane, a slightly comical, loosely historical action movie from 1999 (and available since 2000 on DVD from USA Home Entertainment ) tells the tale of two such vagabonds who, given their origins, would ordinarily find themselves on opposite ends of a robber’s pistol. Instead, in this fabricated telling, they become unlikely partners in crime.
Not Quite Robin Hood
Two men – one a career thief, and the other a boyish-looking captain-turned drunkard and beggar – meet up under intriguing circumstances and decide to become the eighteenth century’s answer to Robin Hood. But, there's a twist. Seems the former Captain James Macleane, played here by the charming Jonny Lee Miller, has a certain way with the aristocracy. Or, as his cohort-in-crime says, he ‘knows da rich.’
This keen ability of “acting as one born of privilege” is not lost on Will Plunkett, the astute thief, portrayed with remarkable, greasy credibility by Robert Carlyle. Thus, “The Gentlemen Highwaymen” are born. They, like the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest before them, enjoy robbing from the rich. However, unlike Robin of Loxley, instead of giving the spoils to the poor, they keep the loot for themselves.
Will Plunkett and James Macleane are scoundrels, through and through. They take great pleasure in fooling British aristocracy by gaining their trust and confidence, only to steal from them in the end. These two get themselves into all sorts of trouble, only to get out of close scrapes at the very last minute. And, when they are not robbing or running for their lives, they seem to find ample time to woo the beguiling, yet cunning Lady Rebecca Gibson, in the guise of Liv Tyler.
Duo Faces Danger Ahead
All goes swimmingly. That is, until and in due course, Macleane begins to buy into his own ruse and takes too keen a liking to his façade as a man of wealth and stature. He develops a genuine soft spot for his rich victims (a twinge of conscience, perhaps?), and when he is not dallying about with the Earl of Rochester (a devilishly swish-and-sway performance by Alan Cumming), Macleane is drooling over Rebecca with disastrous results.
Plunkett, who has a few axes of his own to grind, namely with nemesis General Chance (Ken Scott), sees the writing on the wall and knows there is danger ahead. Conflicts, power plays, jealousy and impulsiveness run amok leading, seemingly, to the duo’s inevitable downfall.
Or, does it?
Gloomy, Darkness Permeates Movie
Plunkett & Macleane is far from being the best period piece ever made. And, it is even farther from being Les Miserables or even Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Bonnie and Clyde and Jesse James proved that acts of robbery and murder are neither romantic nor heroic. Plunkett & Macleane confirm this. When the only motive is greed and avarice, there is not much about which to celebrate or laugh. This clearly comes across through the film’s visual presentation and musical score.
A coating of gloom and grime seems to pervade the entire film, belying its surface comedy. Overly dark night scenes and muted hues permeate the movie. Additionally, the musical score is filled with the booming and disquieting, pulsing tones of electronic drum ‘n bass. This all contributes to an overwhelming feeling of discomfort and unease on the part of the viewer. If this is what the filmmakers intended, it works to perfection in communicating how desperate and unfunny the act of thievery truly is.
DVD Extra Content
The extras on this DVD are scarce. One extra that adds a bit of nuance are the trailers which allow viewers to compare the different way the movie was pitched to audiences in the United States as opposed to the United Kingdom. Cast and director mini-features are included, as is a four minute featurette for added enjoyment.
Plunkett & Macleane is the directorial debut of Jake Scott, the son of director Ridley Scott. The movie is 102 minutes long and is rated R.
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