Tim Roth and John Hurt team up once again, over a decade after their stellar performances in Stephen Frears 'Gangster Noir' film, THE HIT. Tim Roth is mesmerizing as a swishy swordsman with a yen for robbery and rape. The sword fighting scenes in ROB ROY rank with the very best ever captured on film. Although certain Japanese Samurai films might display more frenzied technique, Michael Caton-Jones(the director)seems to allow the sword play to help define his characters' roles. Roth demonstrates a brazen, yet strategic approach-cruelly and intuitively seeking his adversary's weaknesses, while Neeson's character exhibits the ability to stoically absorb the hits, and continue to slug it out. Although, Liam Neeson seems a bit stiff as the noble Scottish clan leader, John Hurt hits the bull's eye as a very wry, British upper class fop. And, Jessica Lange puts a big romantic bow on the entire project. All in all, ROB ROY is a love story about honor and courage without a trace of sappiness.
