Stone of Destiny

Stone of Destiny is stirring and while it never claims to be Braveheart it does capture a lot of what Scotland's quest to be free is all about; and is surprisingly moving.

A fun film about the true theft of the very potent symbol of Scottish heritage also known as Jacob's Pillow (As Jacob was meant to have slept on it after wrestling the angel in Genesis): the Scottish coronation stone.

It is simply told with old-fashioned values - it reminded us of 1950s cinema - something about a good story well-told, a caper with moral vision, if you will.

Above all it was fun. The time whizzed by and it really is an entertaining watch. The attempts to capture the 50s are good, there are some slight anachronisms here and there but overall it holds good. The actors all give it their all and there is a real sense of fun to be had here.

If you want a great adventure story and like true stories then this will definitely be your cup of tea.

I for one would like to enter a plea on its behalf that people should see this film and make up their own minds. As someone who knows something about shaping a story, I am sure that a wider audience will find it a very competent adventure story with moments of real suspense, while for Scots it gives them the flavour of a moment in history and catches very authentically the emotions roused in a wide range of people by the Stone's recovery. The participants, though young, had potentially too much to lose for the raid to be dismissed as a student prank. Like it or not, there was real patriotic fervour at work here and a desire to remedy an old wrong. This is a well written, well acted film, although the reaction of the Scottish critics would have you think otherwise. It is hard to know what personal or professional uncertainty made for such a grudging reception, but it would be a pity if it meant that fewer people saw the film.

This film is about a group of students who are passionate about their native Scotland, plotting the ultimate heist to awaken nationalism of their homeland.

I am pleasantly surprised by "Stone of Destiny". The plot is great, it engages me throughout. The pacing is great, and there is tasteful comedy to balance the thrill. The characters, especially the leader Ian Hamilton, are well sculpted that viewers identify with him easily. I can feel his passion and his burning desire to do something for Scotland, and I am moved by that. The ending is satisfying and emotional, I am still touched by the profound emotions conveyed by the film.

My wife and I took our 10 year old. The time didn't drag and it was nicely done. Not a life changing, earth shattering film that you'd necessarily bother to see again, but it passed a pleasant evening and we were glad we'd gone to see it. It captured the sometimes bumbling and chaotic nature of of this kind of endeavour, and there were a few edge of the seat moments. The acting was fine and it captured the feel of a different era when we weren't so paranoid about terrorism and public buildings were much more easily accessible. I guess a lot of non-Scots won't fully understand the reference to the Declaration of Arbroath (I saw it on display in Edinburgh many years ago and it blew me away - and I'm an Englishman!).

Scotland 1950. Student Ian Hamilton, frustrated by what appears to be a lack of spirit in the people of Scotland, hatches a plan to steal the Stone Of Destiny from Westminster Abbey, and bring it home....

The movie is based on a book written by Hamilton himself. Now, I've not read it, so I'm not sure what the author will think of the finished movie, but I enjoyed it. Written for the screen and directed by Charles Martin Smith, this is Scotland as portrayed by Americans. It's a romantic, sweeping place, full of downtrodden Scots. It's a view of Scotland that you only ever see in the movies. However, it fits the mood of the piece, as this movie does have an old-fashioned feel about it. It recalls the Ealing movies of the '50s, with the whole thing if not played out for laughs, then certainly with a lot of humour in the drama.

The robbers, as portrayed by Charlie Cox, Kate Mara, Ciaron Kelly and Stephen McCole, come over as enthusiastic, if bumbling students who manage to steal the Stone through luck as much as anything else. The movie definitely sides with them.

The cast which also includes Robert Carlyle, Peter Mullan and Billy Boyd are very good indeed, even if some of the accents don't convince.

I'm not sure how historically accurate the movie is, but as a movie, while it does have an old-fashioned feel, it is enjoyable and good natured, and like Braveheart before it, make you proud to be Scottish!