Robert the Bruce

This historical drama takes a markedly different approach to David Mackenzie's blood-soaked Outlaw/King, though it covers the same turbulent period. At the start of the 14th century, Robert the Bruce is nominally Scotland's monarch, but finds himself on the run from both English forces and his own divided countrymen. Glasgow-born Angus MacFadyen, best known for his portrayal of a somewhat vacillating Bruce in Mel Gibson's Braveheart, reprises his character here, while also sharing writing and producing duties. There's more nuance on display in this film, as the leader, isolated and on the run, has to live with the bloody consequences of his previous actions, before taking refuge with a peasant family whose resilience gives him hope. MacFadyen nails the careworn characterisation, but the script labours with the historical backdrop for a good hour before the film begins to come to life. It's a shame it all falls so flat, since the wintry Montana locations (cheaper than shooting in Scotland, apparently) are crisply captured. Sadly, the draggy pace simply underlines the sense of a worthwhile idea poorly executed.