FLIM
WILLIAM TELL
★★★
OUT NOW / CERT 15 / 133 MINS
DIRECTOR Nick Hamm
CAST Claes Bang, Rafe Spall, Golshifteh Farahani, Ben Kingsley
William Tell’s status as a folk hero makes his story kind of a Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves for the Swiss, only they're taking a country from the rich (Austria) and giving it to the poor. This new take is roughly as historically accurate as that Kevin Costner film too — but if you can get past how old-fashioned it feels and lean into the Braveheart-esque fight for freedom, it's rather fun. Tell (Dane Claes Bang) has a strong anti-authoritarian streak that makes him quick to stand up for the needy, and Bang is good: unshowy and serious, shaven-headed instead of sporting a Costner mullet. The script isn't quite as assured, and it loses points for a sequelbaiting ending, but it benefits from solid performances and spectacular vistas.