Bones in My Body, and I Had to Break That One!

REVIEW of The Count of Monte Cristo (2001)

Alexandre Dumas adaptations have a history of suckage (see: Man in the Iron Mask, any of the jillion adaptations of The Three Musketeers, etc.) and, honestly, I hadn't much hope for this one. In fact, I was sure it was gonna suck. But as the plot unfolded, I couldn't help but be sucked in, and even a sagging middle can't mar an otherwise fantastic period movie.

Count follows the story of French sailor Edmond Dantes (relative newcomer James Cazaviel), who, after being royally shafted by his friends in every possible orifice, is sent to the magnificently evil Chateau d'If prison for life. The warden Dorleac (Michael Wincott) is the very embodiment of the devil, and celebrates the anniversary of imprisonment with a brutal yearly beating. There, he plans and executes a daring and dramatic escape with fellow inmate, the aged Abbé Faria (Richard Harris), and leaves alone to unearth an ocean of riches that Faria had informed him of. He had promised to use the riches for good, but of course, the need for revenge always takes over - and he uses the vast amounts of money to buy a fantastic home and the title Count of Monte Cristo.

He plans to destroy the life of his former friend Fernand Mondego (the freakincredible Guy Pearce in one of his best roles yet), who not only sold him out to the police for a treason he didn't commit but also married his fiancée (played by, I believe, the delightful Dagmara Dominczyk) after she was informed that he was dead (French logic; dunno). And therein is one of the major flaws of the film; we grow accustomed to seeing Dantes as the nice-guy-got-shafted, not as the angel-of-death. This transformation is shocking and not at all gradual; he masterminds a plot so incredibly evil that it can't help but fail, and we watch in terror as he executes everything exactly as planned.

The film's only other flaw is its middle. When Caviezel and Harris are plotting their escape from the prison, the action is put on a huge hold - we are given precious little fighting, and lots of digging in the dark and depressing yelling at Jesus and God.

But the action scenes kick ass. They just smack you upwards the head with the great choreography of the swordfights and great, witty barbs. Seeing Fernand's son Albert (great performance by first-time actor Henry Cavill) verbally berate a slew of theives who subsequently get their collective ass whipped by Edmond is a very satisfying experience. Unfortunately, the fighting gives the movie a strange sort of dual nature; if you go in expecting a dramatic story of love and betrayal, you will be dissapointed. If you go in expecting an action romp, you will be dissapointed. The film tries to juggle both aspects, and while it largely succeeds, it makes for a very confused movie.

But don't let that stop you. As entertainment, Count of Monte Cristo brilliantly succeeds at everything it sets out to do. It's a great movie - it's just a pity that it wasn't perfect, because it's easy to see how it could have been.

OVERALL RATING: 4/5
-Matt Mongrain
 

[ this page and all media therein is copyright © 2002 by matt mongrain. the photo stills on this page are copyright Spyglass Entertainment Group, 2001. all rights reserved. reproduction prohibited without express, written permission of the author. ]