The Stone of Destiny: Movie Review

The Stone of Destiny: Movie Review

Rating 5/10
Cast: Charlie Cox, Billy Boyd, Robert Carlyle, Kate Mara, Bryan Lowe, Brenda Fricker
Director: Charles Martin Smith
Set in the late 1940s/ early 1950s, The Stone of Destiny is based on a true story.
Charlie Cox stars as Ian Hamilton, a member of a Scottish nationalist organisation who is outraged that the English continue to subjugate the Scottish.
So in an attempt to strike a symbolic blow for freedom after Scotland's plea to be independent is rejected, he plots to remove the Stone of Scone, aka The Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey.
Along with Kay Matheson (Kate Mara), and a couple of local lads, the quartet head to the big smoke and start to see if their enormous task - both physical and metaphorical - is possible...
The Stone of Destiny is a fairly pleasant way to pass an hour and a half - it has to be said though, very little elevates it beyond the feeling of a made for television movie
That's not to denigrate anything from the story - which is charmingly acted and beautifully shot - all of the cast acquit themselves well in a relatively simple roles and it's a gentle story throughout
Only Hamilton is afforded a bit more depth in terms of character and plot - he has father issues and is clearly trying to do something to impress both his father, the girl he quite likes (Kay) and his country.
While the themes of oppression are universal, The Stone of Destiny seems a real throwback to a Scotland of yesteryear - the actual break out of the stone is quite a tense piece and there's a vein of humour running throughout the whole piece.

But all in all, The Stone of Destiny will possibly mean more to you if you have a nostalgic bent towards reliving Scottish history and emotional times - for the casual viewer, there's little onscreen to engage beyond putting the brain in neutral.