As a Scot, I tend to look upon the Hollywood treatment of our national history with considerable disdain at the best of times - this is not a film that encourages me to change that philosophy. The general heather and whisky sentiment; the unsophisticated but honourable Scots versus the evil, occupying English is all way to simplistic to be anything more than a romantic adventure drama along the lines of the "Master of Ballantrae". Sure, it's grittier than that - the language more course/authentic (take your pick) but both John Hurt as the turncoat Marquis of Montrose and Tim Roth (who perhaps thinks this is a "Three Musketeers" romp?) camp it up to the point where you wouldn't have put much money on them escaping from a Parisian brothel unscathed; much less raping, pillaging and ruthlessly scheming to supplant Scottish traditions in favour of their new Hanoverian masters. Eric Stolz and Brian Cox's casting is just bizarre! Andrew Keir, wooden as ever, makes some effort as the Duke of Argyll - another supporter of King George. It has the benefits of some stunning scenery and a cracking score from Carter Burwell, but otherwise it is a mediocre costume drama with a cursory nod to a great Scottish hero.
