Teringer
An Exercise In Nonsense
Grimossfer
Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%
FirstWitch
A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
hvdam
I loved the book, read it "to pieces". Yes the adaptation is slow-paced and a number of stories have been left out, but in all reality, the selection made is excellent. The atmosphere is great, it is truly romantic and the chosen stories are excellent. Unfortunately there are a lot of deviations from the book, which results in a (in my taste) "cheesy" ending. Overall however, there is a lot to enjoy. The soundtrack is excellent and full of subtle details. Spoiler Alert: When Heloise enters Valentines room for the second time, to check whether she had been successful, she hums a melody (not in the book). This melody is very well chosen: The theme is the slow movement of Schubert's String Quartet No 14 "Der Tod und das Mädchen" (Death and the Maiden).
donaldmaddog
One could say I am an old coot, geezer, at the age of 71. This wonderful series, starring the great Gerard Depardieu, pulled me back to my childhood at about eight years old. The two librarians in my little home town in Louisiana always pushed me to read books that were at least two grades ahead. At the end of the school year we were given the usual Summer Reading List. Presenting mine to the local librarians, they suggested a novel by Alexander Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo. I had never actually read a "novel" of that size. I was a bit over- come, but began to read this book right then and there, sitting in a bay window overlooking the little river that flowed past the library's huge windows. That experience changed my life from a casual reader to a dedicated and life-long lover of books. I learned that Dumas was French and had written many other books. I read them all that summer. Then on to Victor Hugo, Balzac, George Sand, and others, all recommended by those lovely ladies in the local library. I have seen almost every film adaptation of The Count, going back to the 1934 version with Robert Donat to the last one with Guy Pierce. THIS one, with Depardieu,is my favorite. Although many liberties are taken, as usual with movie producers and directors, it still is an exciting and involving tale. Dumas' story is so sturdy that any injury visited upon it would be only superficial. I found myself an eight year old all over again. Unlike some adaptations of Dumas' novels, this one had very little swash and even less buckle, being more character driven and fueled by last minute escapes and near fatal outcomes. The ending, as several other comments express, is a bit too up-beat, but so what? Life is full of wonderful and unexpected joys. Watching this made-for-television series was one of them. AND I found it on DVD so I can watch it over and over.
Jessie
I am a fervent fan of the book and have seen most of its film adaptations. This version is alternately the best and the worst. *SPOILER* The movie practically starts from Dantes' escape; he escapes perhaps within the first thirty minutes of a six hour movie. We hardly meet the Abbe Faria. The rest of the film involves Dantes' elaborate revenge scheme. This scheme is remarkably accurate and is fully satisfying in its step-by-step depiction. This, for me, was the film's best aspect-- a reenactment of the book. In other ways, however, I was severely disappointed by the film. Although I greatly admire Gerard Depardieu as an actor, Dantes and the film in general lacked true emotional involvement. I didn't feel the rage of Dantes, his connection (good or bad) with others, nor his gradual degeneration. With the exception of Maximilien/Valentine and perhaps one scene with Camille de Richardais, I did not feel at all emotionally invested in the movie. In this, even the rather deplorably inaccurate versions are, in fact, better movies, even if they are inaccurate adaptations. In sum, see this movie if you're a fan of the book and want to see very accurate adaption. Except for the very end, it was remarkable in its faithfulness. The movie lacks emotional connection, however, and is not a great movie outside of its connection to a great book.
jkj7
This movie conforms to the book and manages to capture the true story. Revenge ... Girard Depardieu is wonderful and I have watched it twice (subtitles, no less!!) It is well worth the effort. Reading the book first was definitely helpful.
