Glenrothan was a mystery screening and in the past these films have been generally enjoyable but occasionally they are ones that I probably wouldn’t have seen at the cinema. Glenrothan is one of those films and it sees Alan Cumming play Donal who owns a bar and when it burns to the ground he, his daughter Amy and his granddaughter goes to visit his estranged older brother Sandy (played by Brian Cox who also directs the film).
A character of the film that deserves credit is the Scottish countryside. There are countless shots of beautiful landscapes and along with the great performances help create a wonderful atmosphere and a film that doesn't end in the way you think it does. It was a possibility that the film ended with Sandy dying but it doesn't, it ends with Sandy and Donal reuniting and going on the road to catch up on the time they lost. Jess gets to run the business that she seems to have been groomed for and things are all ending on a sweet note but not too sweet.
The central performances are really good. It’s nice to see Brian Cox in something other than Succession and playing someone who is nice. It’s been a while since I have seen Alan Cumming in something and he is equally as good as Cox. Despite the character differences, they have great chemistry together. Shirley Henderson is one of those people that can deliver a great performance no matter what the character or situation is. Despite being the supporting characters, both Alexandra Shipp and Alexandra Wilkie-Millar give strong performances as Amy and Sasha.
I really enjoyed this film. It has a straight forward plot that allows the performances to win you over. It is a very charming film and proves that cinema in 2026 can cope with films that don't rely on people being mean to each other or trying to take over the world. Cox’s direction style seems unfussy and it will be interesting to see if he decides to step behind the camera again because he is just as good as director as he is an actor.
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