THE STORY – Two brothers have a violent exchange with their father on the day of their mother’s funeral, and the younger of the two brothers had left their Highland home for America. After 40 years, they reunite in the land of their birth.
THE CAST – Alan Cumming, Brian Cox, Shirley Henderson, & Alexandra Shipp
THE TEAM – Brian Cox (Director) & David Ashton (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 97 Minutes
It wouldn’t be the Toronto International Film Festival if they didn’t premiere a famous actor’s directorial debut. It’s a tale as old as time, yet each year, we are deceived into thinking that maybe each outing would be equally as rewarding. Many actors who desire to become a multi-hyponite never live up to those expectations, likely inserting a blemish on a career that was already flourishing. So, it may come to be a surprise that veteran actor and Emmy-nominee Brian Cox has found himself at the age of 79 wanting to step behind the camera. However, his years of delivering stellar performances, sadly, haven’t spared him from making a film so incredibly pedestrian that it’s baffling how nothing goes right. “Glenrothan” is, at its best, a straight-to-video homecoming drama that only reaffirms that it’s perfectly okay to be great at one thing.
Cox’s starts “Glenrothan” by narrating over a gorgeous view of the Scottish Highlands. His character, Sandy, the sole proprietor of a family-owned whisky distillery, is writing to his estranged brother Donal (Alan Cumming). In the 40 years since Donal’s absence, Sandy’s heart has only grown to be more fond, especially in his current state of health. Viewers who have come to know Cox with his work, especially in the past few years, will note that his signature sense of aggression is substituted for a more tenderhearted approach to Sandy. It’s also what is supposed to make audiences more curious as to why Donal fled to Chicago in the first place. From the first moments Cumming appears on screen, his presence is felt as Donal is delivering a jazz performance at his club, alongside his daughter, Amy (Alexandra Shipp). Cumming exudes a weathered confidence that tries to put some energy into a film that clearly lacks it. All of it begins to slowly be zapped from Cumming as his character finally pulls the trigger to go with Alex and his granddaughter back to his hometown in the midst of a career crisis. What follows is meant to be a trip down memory lane aimed at tugging on the audience’s heartstrings while we watch Donal and Sandy attempt to find a way back to each other. Instead, it’s tedious, as each scene that follows only gets harder to watch.
Who is to say what Cox found so alluring about David Ashton’s screenplay that compelled him to make this his directorial debut? It’s barely held together; each scene progressively stumbles its way to the next, glued by some of the unfunniest comedy in quite some time. For an ensemble filled with a slew of quality actors, it’s baffling that someone as attuned to the mindset of an actor like Cox could get nothing out of anyone in this film. Everyone’s comedic timing is way off the mark, as Cox’s stagnant sense of direction leaves nothing to be desired from each frame. Cumming tries to do his best, despite the overly conventional screenplay attempting to squeeze some sort of emotion for the character of Donal. Yet a majority of the film finds Donal exchanging half-hearted blows with Sandy while he constantly smokes around his old stomping grounds, moping. There is one moment where Donal makes a meal for his brother, who is a far better cook, and it leads to the only interaction in “Glenrothan” that feels authentic. The feeling immediately dissipates as this abhorrently edited attempt at a feel-good time goes through the motions, trying to get to each sequence.
It hits every expected beat one would expect, but Cox doesn’t bring anything new or insightful to what essentially boils down to a watered-down Lifetime movie. It’s a shame because Cox and Cumming are both brilliant actors with the narrative foundation to make, at the very least, something watchable. Almost every word that comes out of these characters’ mouths or their reactions to certain revelations feels nothing but alien. It’s an exruciatingly dull watch that so desperately wants to be an emotionally charged experience. “Glenrothan” can’t even excel at being intentionally manipulative with the audience’s emotions due to just how underwhelming every facet of filmmaking attached to it is. It’s clear, deep down, that Cox and company came on board with this film with good intentions. Who wouldn’t appreciate, at a time like this, a nice feel-good film that is a reminder of what the important things in life are? The only thing “Glenrothan” can remind audiences is that there are better films that excel at making that point.
