The Man in the Iron Mask

Rating:
Summary: Nowhere near ........................
Review: This film is interesting at first but then if begins to sag like a souffle. Leonardo is just too cute to be Louis IV. He made the king look like he was twelve. The movie is not interesting in the sense that it doesn't show Louis's character in detail or Phillipe's. It had little action as well. The French mustv'e laughed at this film. Leo looks nowhere near the real king! It's amazing how a director hires "a popular actor" to make some quick kaching$$. Now the costumes are wonderful and the scenery as well but even this could not save this film.

Rating:
Summary: Loved it . . .
Review: I don't know why I did not see the 1998 version of Man in the Iron Mask while it played in theaters. In a way I'm glad I didn't see it then - I surely would have embarrassed myself, because it would not have occurred to me that I would need a half-box of Kleenex at the end! I finally watched the movie in my own living room when it came to HBO several years ago, but while I enjoyed the movie at the time, it did not leave me with the urgent desire to see it again. However, I did watch the movie again recently, and now for some unexplainable reason, I can't seem to get enough of it. I have the DVD, and it is the movie I most often reach for on a quiet evening of lousy television.

Those who are expecting a faithful adaptation of the book will come away sorely disappointed, and if that is their measure of the movie, they will do best to avoid this one. However, those who love the characters, who don't mind seeing new adaptations and interesting plot twists, and who love rich costumes and set designs will find this movie wonderfully entertaining. And that is what it is all about, isn't it? Entertainment.

I have read many reviews regarding this movie, and am puzzled, even dismayed at times, by some of the criticisms levied at various aspects of it. Some people have complained about the dialogue in the movie, calling it "flowery", but truthfully I loved the fact that Randall Wallace did not modernize it. So many new films and TV series are "dumbing down" the dialogue of period pieces to make them more compatible with today's manner of speaking. I applaud Mr. Wallace for keeping the dialogue consistent with how it likely would have been spoken in the 17th century.

Still others complained of the unlikelihood of all four Musketeers surviving a volley of musketfire during the final charge. If they had been watching properly, they would have noticed that the young Musketeers were turning their faces away, closing their eyes as they pulled the triggers. And after the first few shots, powder smoke begins to fill the corridor, obscuring their vision. So the lack of accuracy in their volley is adequately explained on more than one count. Moreover, if the critics had been watching more closely, they would have noticed that there are woundings -- D'Artagnan is hit in the shoulder, Athos in the thigh. The other two are also limping, and the script confirms that all four are wounded in the barrage.

As for the complaints that the four leads have four different accents, I did not find them distracting or annoying, as some have claimed. I expected it, since this is an International Cast, and with an International Cast, you get International accents.

And speaking of the cast, I must say that in all the Musketeers movies I've seen, this is the strongest cast ever. The primary performers, Jeremy Irons, Gabriel Byrne, Gerard Depardieu, and John Malkovich, all turn in exquisite performances, and Leonardo DiCaprio is, in my opinion, convincing as Louis and Philippe, even though he is upstaged by the other four. Anne Parilloud is simply lovely as the Queen Mother, and the moments she shares with Byrne's D'Artagnan are some of the best in the film. The love scene between them, as brief as it was, is as beautiful as any I've ever seen (this coming from someone who is not a true fan of romance! I was left wanting more!). The music is brilliant and sets the mood perfectly for each scene. The wardrobe is exceptional, especially the black uniforms of the old musketeers.

Particularly nice touches in this movie are the attention to detail: The roses left for the queen speaks as decisively of D'Artagnan's love for her as words ever could (And yes, I really liked the plot twist involving the twins' paternity); Philippe dragging his masked head back and forth over the grating in frustration while in prison; the unmasking of Philippe in a dark blacksmith's forge, his hair wrapped around his neck where, as it grew, it was unable to escape the confines of the mask; Lieutenant Andre's devotion to D'Artagnan throughout the film and the way he looks away when the king orders the volley, unable to watch his captain cut down; the rich, fancy costumes contrast the torn, sweat-stained clothing where appropriate.

The movie is not without its faults, though. The first scene involving Porthos and Aramis, for example, contains some crude language regarding parts of both the male and female anatomy and Porthos's flatulence, both of which seemed out of place, and actually got the film off to a shaky start. The first time I watched it, I almost turned it off at this point. I also could have lived quite happily without ever having seen the bulls-eye glimpses of Porthos' naked rear end. While I'm sure some of Depardieu's fans loved it, the scene did nothing to advance the plot, in my opinion. There is hardly an actor or actress out there these days that has not done a nude, but quite frankly, some things are just better left to the imagination. I'm smiling as I write this, but truly, the scene was unnecessary. Thankfully, there is a "skip" button on my DVD player! And yes, I do use it.

Those few faults are forgivable when surrounded by so many other details that are so elegantly done. For me, it was a very pleasing movie experience, one I enjoy over and over again. Kudos to everyone involved. Now, if I can just convince Randall Wallace to release a director's cut version . . . .



Rating:
Summary: I'm A Genius Not An Engineer!
Review: The above is one of my favorite lines in the movie said by Jeremy Irons (Aramus) as the naked and depressed Porthos (Gérard Depardieu) is trying to hang himself from the main beam of a barn which collapses.

I own this movie on VHS and really enjoy it, so much that I'll probably get in on DVD.

Once again, if one is a purist of a novel they may be disappointed, but in general I try to enjoy movies for what they are not as literal interpretations of books. For example, I love the movie Amadeus but it's not even close to being an accurate portrayal of the life of Mozart, still it's an enjoyable film. Just don't use it as a "Biography".

Anyway, I thought "The Man In The Iron Mask" was very well done, that the actors did an great job. Certainly Leonardo Dicaprio was certainly out of his league compared to the likes of Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gérard Depardieu, Gabriel Byrne and the others but he was passable enough not to hurt the overall movie and the others performances are simply incredible in my opinion!

The story is great, the cinematography outstanding and the action scenes are rivetting.

Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: True to Dumas
Review: I have read the entire Musketeer series. This version closely tracks its written counterpart. It was well acted and involved the viewer in both the comedy and pathos Dumas was expert at entertaining his readers with. I was actually surprised by diCaprio's performance. I thought he showed great versatility in playing the dual roles. I loved Jeremy Irons in the role of d'Artagnan and I really liked Depardieu too in the role of Porthos. I have played my copy several times for guests in my home. It is a movie that engenders thought about good and evil and shows that, sometimes, it is important to do the right thing --- just because it is right to do.