The Count of Monte Cristo is at times boring and
dull, but in the end it is an ultimately worthwhile trip. In it we get one
of the most beloved novels of all time captured on film, but sadly the movie
is much more frivolous than the book. These harsh words aren’t to say that I
don’t recommend the flick, but to describe the areas it is lacking in before
I move onto the “pros” listing. On the flipside, we are able to view some
great photography, an incredible screenplay, and some well crafted action;
the film is actually quite entertaining, and is never really “painful” to
watch.
The story must be very familiar
to most of you, but incase by chance you haven’t heard the well-known tale
before, then I will baffle you with a couple of tidbits of information. When
a man is wrongly accused and sent to the most horrid and torturous jailhouse
on the planet, and betrayed by his long time friend and partner; he has
absolutely nothing to live for. He wants to break free from the terrible
conditions of the wretched prison, but he is trapped and will be for the
rest of his entire life. It looks like the end, but he finds a new hope when
a man literally pops out of the ground of his cell. The man claims that he
has been digging tunnels to make his way out of the prison’s torturous
conditions and wants his newfound friend to help him. In exchange for
lessons in writing, reading, and economics he offers to let the struggling
individual help and gain his freedom as well. The prisoners are only checked
on twice a day, so their digging and schooling schedules must revolve around
these five minute periods. *They make it out of the physically demeaning
quarters after months of hard work. Now the long-time prisoner must finish
what was started, he must seek revenge on those who wrongly accused him.
My favorite scenes were those
that occurred in the prison. There wasn’t much scenery at all, just dirt and
rocks, so it let the actors’ talents were able to shine through, and by the
end of the movie I was able to fully encompass their various strengths and
weaknesses. The smaller scenes are more powerful than the larger ones, when
the dialogue is concentrated into one dimension, and only a single subject
is being discussed, the movie is in its prime. I can’t say why, simply
because of the fact that I don’t know, but in my gut, I knew that they were
the best of everything else when I was watching them.
Guy Pearce has always been one
to play the most oddest of characters, and never really is any good. Though
he was fabulous in Memento, he was totally off in this movie
and in the atrocious The Time Machine. His look doesn’t fit,
his speech doesn’t fit; in my eyes he just isn’t an accomplished actor.
Watching him in this movie was for most critics like watching Tom Green in
Stealing Harvard; though most people buy into his strange
appeal, there is something just, off, about him. As a matter of fact, I
didn’t really like any ones performance in particular, except for James
Cavielzel’s, he was the most wonderful “Edmund Dantes”, and no one could’ve
ever picked anyone better.
The film does have some big
plot holes, as well as some careless errors; there is only one that I would
like to talk about in depth, however. As I mentioned before, the two inmates
dig tunnels in the ground that either lead to other cells that provide paths
to different exits, or directly to suspected exits themselves. In one clip,
they dig from the floor of one cell, and come out of the bottom of another.
If they left through the bottom of one cell, than wouldn’t they come through
the top of the next? This might be hard to capture on video, but it’s the
right, and most practical explanation.
Overall, The Count of
Monte Cristo is a very entertaining experience with some great action
sequences and intellectually enriching pieces of dialogue. Just like every
other film, it has its flaws, but they are more noticeable due to the
considerable amount of ignorance the story gets when watching the feature
unfold, because of its common usage in literature. I’m glad I saw it, though
I was not blown away, as some were. Rent it, but don’t overwatch it; I have
decided to give it a light, three bucket, recommendation.
*One may die, or be left behind; watch the movie to
find out!
-Danny, Bucket Reviews
