Centurion (out 16 August 10, Cert. 15)

Monkey Score: 81%

AD 117. The Roman Empire stretches from Egypt to Spain, and East as far as the Black Sea. But in northern Britain, the relentless onslaught of conquest has ground to a halt in face of the guerrilla tactics of an elusive enemy: the savage and terrifying Picts. Quintus Dias (Fassbender), sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier fort, marches north with General Virilus' (West) legendary Ninth Legion, under orders to wipe the Picts from the face of the earth and destroy their leader Gorlacon. But when the legion is ambushed on unfamiliar ground, and Virilus taken captive, Quintus faces a desperate struggle to keep his small platoon alive behind enemy lines. Enduring the harsh terrain and evading their remorseless Pict pursuers led by revenge-hungry Pict Warrior Etain (Kurylenko), the band of soldiers race to rescue their General and to reach the safety of the Roman frontier.

When Neil Marshall directs you can rest assured no punches or buckets of fake blood will be held back. This is however the only element that is predictable in this superb story. Shot entirely on location, one can only imagine the misery and sheer physical challenge the on-screen and off-screen talent were put through. The historic accuracy is mostly educated guess work, as very little survived from the Picts, but it all seems quite plausible. Unlike his Picts, however, Neil Marshall takes no prisoner. Centurion is pure grit, gloriously shot in what looks like a very miserable winter, and without concessions to Hollywood. There is only one teeny tiny bit of fluff at the end, but it flows so naturally from the story that it concludes the film in a very satisfying way. Michael Fassbender, hot on the heels of superb Brit-flick Fish Tank and Tarentino's Inglorious Basterds, manages to give depth to a very physical role. Drawing a parallel between Centurion and Braveheart may be tempting, but it would be like comparing Beethoven to Cujo. The only thing they share is a north of the border setting and a bit of blue face paint.