Rollicking Adventure

Film club was almost up to full strength last night as Dong and Shazzerooneypoos joined us for the 1995 men-in-skirts romp Rob Roy, starring oh-so-hunky Irishman Liam Neeson (looking very Scottish and manly in the headline photo above).

Dong and the small Lewis were doing their Darby and Joan bickering to perfection, with Dong letting us know that Auntie Sharon had managed to mood swing into the persona of every single one of the seven dwarves earlier in the day. Except Happy. He nearly got a slap around the chops for that one. The intrepid hikers had been out to Bodmin moor in Sunday's sunshine and brought back treats to nibble from their favourite shop; we chomped our way through some chocolate flowers and mint fondant choccies (if you fitted them together they looked a bit like chocolate dinosaurs - that was the idea anyway).

On to writing about the film. There's not all that much to write about, if I'm honest. It's a Boys Own adventure story very loosely based on Sir Walter Scott's novel. Liam Neeson does lots of looking heroic and a fair bit of running around in a kilt, but not a great deal of acting. Jessica Lange plays the hero's wronged wife with a slightly wobbly Scottish accent. John Hurt does a decent skit as Lord Montrose, dripping with malice and foppish unpleasantness. The star turn, though, is without doubt Tim Roth as the hugely camp Archibald Cunningham. Cunningham is a marvellous villain; lisping, obsequious and deadly. The film is worth watching for Roth's performance alone. Naturally it comes as a pleasure when he finally gets his comeuppance, but every scene he appears in comes alive with a wicked humour. Roth plays it very tongue in cheek and milks the role for all it's worth. Top marks to the man.

Apart from numerous sexual references this is a film that belongs in the "family entertainment" bracket; ideal for a Sunday afternoon after a large roast dinner. The plot is as predictable as the result of an Australia versus Holland cricket match; there's plenty of ham on offer from the cast and the whole thing is hugely enjoyable bunkum.

Hoots Mon.