Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Anoushka Slater While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Stephanie There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Dale Haufrect "The Reckoning is a 14th century tale of woe. It is a film from 2002 and it is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director i is Paul McGuigan. And the writers include Barry Unsworth (novel) and Mark Mills (Screenplay). The cast includes Paul Bettany, Marian Aguilera, Trevor Steechman, Simon McBurney, Tom Handy, Brian Cox, Willem Dafoe, Gina McKee, Stuart Wells, Vincent Cassel, Elvira Minguez, Richard Durden, Ewen Bremner, Mark Benton, Hamish McColl, Mathew Macfadyen, Luke de Woolfson, Nall Buggy, Julian Barnatt, Luisa Requena Baron, Pedro Martinez De Dioni, Tom Georgeson, Simon Pegg, Teresa Berganza Rafa Izuzkiza and Jose Luis Martinez Gutierez. The story revolves around a group of strolling actors who stumble upon a village in Midevil England. There is a play within a play and a murder plot, however, the cinematography is lacking as is the story. I gave it only 3 stars. Dale Haufrect

user-923-774441 The Reckoning was full of great actors, suspense and twists, yet when compared with the original book, 'Morality Play', it doesn't measure up. While there was more drama, the movie didn't remain true to the era it was supposed to be portraying. Even though it was interesting, there were bits of drama that made it much less enjoyable. The main dramatic element was the death of Nicholas at the end of the film. He died trying to do what was right, which was not the greatest ending to the film. There were many more differences between the movie and the book, and while those differences made the film more entertaining, it seemed as if it lost a bit of it's credibility. A big change that shouldn't have been made toward the end of the movie, was when Sarah, (Margaret in the book), was allowed to become part of the ending play. In the book, she was not even allowed to vote on group decisions, let alone be part of a play. This section of the movie wasn't true to the book, it was also untrue to the customs of the Middle Ages. Women were not often valued enough in society to be given formal places in plays or groups. The Reckoning didn't focus enough on the some of the issues that were defining factors of the Middle Ages. One scene actually showed people worried about the plague, which was a huge problem then, but wasn't a significant focus for the rest of the movie. With more focus on the plague, it would have seemed as if it was actually taking place in the Middle Ages. Christianity was a big focus in the book, but not as much in the movie. The majority of people in that era were Christian, yet there was only one main scene that brought Christianity into action. There should have been more time spent focusing on this, as Christianity was one of the biggest influences in that society. It also should have spent more time on describing the corruption of the Church that was occurring. There were priests and monks breaking vows left and right, which seemed to be semi-acceptable! Nicholas admitted practicing adultery, which was laughed off by the players. In the book, there was a priest that had clearly broken his vows, and everyone in the group seemed accepting of his actions. The corruption of the Church is a main component of this story, and in the film it wasn't shown to the extent it could have been. When comparing the book to the movie, the story line and the themes of the book were more effectively articulated, because it remained true to societal norms of the Middle Ages. The book seemed to have a better understanding of what it was supposed to be portraying. It weaved the interesting story lines through the historically accurate Middle Aged world the author had created. It's blend of fiction and the true Middle Ages made the book balanced and enjoyable. The movie focused more on the dramatic elements than the accurate history, which, in turn, took away from the truthfulness of The Reckoning. Overall, I would rate this movie a 6 out of 10, because it was entertaining and intriguing, but lacked historical accuracy.

sol- An intriguing premise, plus some insight into the lives of traveling actors and the religious beliefs during the depicted time, are the aspects that keep this film going along. Many of the sequences are filmed by clichés in terms of the editing choices, close-ups, fast motion and slow motion used. The visual style is good otherwise, with high camera angles used effectively, apt sets and costumes, plus some moody landscapes - it is just all put together in a rather drone manner. The film takes a while to build up too, and it tends to be over-complicated without explaining well all that needs to be known. Still, there are interesting elements at hand here, so if it sounds appealing, the film is most likely worth a look.

Barbara Gershenson I don't know what to mention first, the acting, music score, the costumes, the pace, the dialogue, direction, the plot, the cinematography. I am in awe. I can only imagine how it must have felt to have been involved in the making of this true work of art. It's a privilege to watch it. Every beat, every glimpse and especially the Orchestral background music which enhances and potentiates the other artistic elements. This is a play to be considered a classic and one to study for many, many years to come. From the 1300's the evolution of the play from Bible stories to drama which depict or portray real life and human characteristics and foibles, this is not only a morality play but a portrait of the evolution and art of drama. This play also demonstrates the power of the people of a place to change the status quo. The power in the end lies not with evil but in Truth. And, by the way while I'm on the subject? I'm totally flabbergasted and ashamed of the designation of R rating for this true work of art. This huge mistake just shows that as a people, we, in the USA feel that it's better to have our children watch violence and bloodshed, but true human portrayals which may include some minor sex is off limits. This masterpiece which contains true Good, Christian and other Religious Good Values we have rated "R". Good job.