Witty, charming and a tad cheeky. All characters well portrayed with tons of quotable lines. Excellent score from Craig Armstrong, recycled countless times in TV and adverts. Can't figure out the low score. Takes liberties with historical accuracy, but what good yarn doesn't? Watched over and over again since it became available. Now where's the bluray, huh!?

I wasn't too sure about this movie when I was about to watch it, and the only reason we saw it was because the release of Mr Nice Guy was delayed once again. That was a little annoying, but for some reason I wanted to see this movie so I managed to talk my friend into it and we went to see it and in the end I really enjoyed it.This movie is about a couple of highwaymen, Plunkett and Maclaine. Plunkett was once an alchemist but after is business failed and his wife died, he took up highway robbery to earn enough money to sail to America. Things were going slow until he ran into Captain Maclaine, a noble who loved to drink, wrench, and gamble - and because of this he had thrown away all of his money and was now in debtor's gaol. Maclaine doesn't want anything to do with Plunkett at first because Maclaine is a noble and Plunkett is a commoner, but reality comes home when Maclaine falls over in front of some nobles and is scorned by them. It is then that he realises that he is no longer in their midsts and is determined to claw his way back.There is also a character named Chance. He is a brutal man whose job is to enforce the law, and he does this by any means possible. At this time there is debate over whether to enact a police force or not - the argument is that a police force will take freedom away from the people - but at this time the people are so poor that they have little freedom anyway; and now the rich are being targeted by Plunkett and Maclaine and none feel safe.Yet they have earned the name of the Gentlemen Highwaymen namely because Maclaine is so nice to the ladies when he robs them. At first he robs the girl that he has fallen for and apologises as he is robbing her, but he has such a smooth mouth that he takes the title with glee and begins to play upon it inciting the imaginations of the noble and the commoners alike. The women swoon over them but the men hate them. Maclaine milks it for all its worth, because he is a man that loves fame, women, and people taking notice of him. Plunkett simply wants to get to America and plans on quitting when he has enough money. Unfortunately that is never going to happen because Maclaine is too interested in stealing Plunkett's money and wasting it. As it is said, there is no honour among thieves.Maclaine does nothing to deserve Plunkett's mercy. At first he manages to get them out of gaol, but as Maclaine becomes more obsessed with his partying, the original goal vanishes. Anyway, Maclaine has no intention of going to America - all of the fun is in England. The women, his legend, and the parties. Plunkett wants a new life while Maclaine simply wants to continue living the life he has. He can't afford it, but that does not matter because he will simply steal more.One final character that I must discuss is Rochester - he is a very quirky character. It is implied, but never stated, that he is bi-sexual. The quote is "do you still swing both ways?"; "No, I swing all ways!" There are numerous suggestions to homosexuality but it is never stated - this is left for our imagination. What we are given though is a class of debaucherers. The nobles live a life far above their means and enjoy it at other people's expense. We see a society here where the poor live in the mud - and this is not hidden as we see Maclaine go from the very poor to the very rich, but even so there is still a dirty feel to the movie - as if the nobles, even though they live is luxury, are still incredibly dirty on the inside.The interesting thing about this movie is that it is set in the 18th century, but the soundtrack is very modern - almost 90's. I can't offer any real explanation except that it worked very well. I really liked this movie, and is one of the best I have seen so far.

This is in a sense a buddy-movie. Two ill-matched young men, one a cash-strapped aristo, the other a street-wise low-life thief. Their meeting is surreal in its oddity where-after their common quest to avoid a gruesome fate and become rich, creates at first a bond of extreme necessity, mired in almost unimaginable filth which later, mirroring their improving luck, lightens up as necessity gives way to the pursuit of stylish pleasures - and stylish crime. The noose as always awaits but far far better to be hanged dressed in the best finery, to the tears of young women of class and to be ready and able to exit with a memorable quip. In short to die, if it absolutely could not be avoided, stylishly and like gentlemen, not common felons.The extreme harshness of the law, the filth and squalor, the highest of fashion, shopping and vaunting ambition to enjoy the high life is a combination which existed in the 18th Century but disappeared in the Victorian era as legal reforms blunted the harshness and worthiness replaced swagger. Life became safer, fairer - and duller.

This movie reminded me of Quills. Perhaps it is the whole period/costume drama, because their plots are entirely different.Plunkett and Macleane is about two men named Plunkett and Macleane. Plunkett is the all wise rugged thief who is played by Robert Carlyle and Macleane is a gentleman, a captain to be exact, who has gambled his good name away. He is played by Johnny Lee Miller.******SPOILERS********** The story has the two heroes meeting while a burglary goes wrong for Plunkett and his former partner. They are robbing a coach and crash into the prison Macleane is being held in. Plunkett and his partner are being chased by the evil and ugly Chance, who has a superiority complex and a thing for gouging out eyeballs.His partner is injured seriously and swallows a ruby that comes in handy for both parties. Chance kills the poor robber and is on a quest to capture Plunkett. Macleane is of course a silent witness to all of this, and along with a sudden entrance to freedom he now knows a ruby is lodged in the insides of a man and will go to the cemetery to find it.Plunkett has the same idea and the two men meet again.They are caught and are imprisoned for robbing from the grave, the stolen ruby turns out to be their saving grace. The two men strike a deal and a friendship as bandits. With Macleanes access to high society and Plunketts mischievous demeanor they form a perfect team of flamboyant gentlemen highwaymen. They encounter rich and rob as one nobleman puts it "with style". The two seem to be on a great path heading for the Americas with their acquired riches, until Macleane falls in love with the lovely Lady Rebecca Gibson(Liv Tyler).This movie works because of the humor and acting. British movies in particular seem to have a seriousness to them that can be depressing. This movie is both funny and depressing, this is not a pretty time to be in England ( though Liv Tyler's Rebecca Gibson surely thinks so). It has wonderful quirky characters such as Rochester( Alan Cumming).I loved all the characters and some particularly favorite scenes which I enjoyed. 1. Rochester is just great as the 18th century flamboyant bisexual. He of course "swings every way" though his preference is clearly male and all scenes involving Lord Rochester are great, since he parades around like a queen he so wishes he could be.2. The sex scene between Macleane and the richest woman in England Estell is just funny. Here Macleane is trying to be all romantic and charming to a woman old enough to be his mother. Estell annoyed at his pretty words simply says "oh shut up and f*** me!" Hilarious!3. The robbery at Estells engagement party where the stylish Macleane (masked of course) not only robs the guests, but treats them to some entertainment. He disgustingly reveals to her guests that this woman is infected with the pox! (something Macleane caught by his poetic hook up). Being a Lady, Estell is embarrassed and destroyed as fireworks ablaze and Macleane succeeds in shaming her.4. The ball scene. Great music. It is worth just looking at. Liv Tyler looks absolutely beautiful with a Marie Antoinette style hair and haughty attitude. Great.5. Macleanes ongoing anguish over his love for Rebecca is quite endearing. Plunkett is positively annoyed, but Macleane is truly distraught. Even while pleasuring prostitutes he is in a complex about the lady Rebecca and when he is infected with the pox (thanks to Estell) he is disgusted and tells Plunkett "How am I to make love to Rebecca?". 6. The hanging scene. Again another scene where the music plays a role. Macleane is caught and is to be put to death by hanging. It is a sad scene watching both Rochester and Rebeccas broken faces while Chance is grinning like an idiot and forcing Rebecca to watch her beloved die....but than in grand fashion Plunkett arrives to save the day!!!!!!!!!!7. The friendship between the two men is really my favorite as friendship seems to lack so much with movies and if two characters of the same sex are good friends they are immediately labeled homosexuals. I do not think this is a borderline homosexual friendship. It is one that came out of convenience, but turned genuine. As is stated above one is a rugged thief the other a gentlemen. When Macleane is caught and is being tried he shouts in his final words to a room full of nobility that the only thing he is sorry for is the hurt he caused his friend Plunkett. He continues to state that while Plunkett is not of noble blood he is more of a gentlemen than any man in the room. A nice touch in my opinion.This movie is one of the better period films in that it has some pretty funny scenes and it has a modern twist. A movie that if disgustingly great.