The Lion in Winter
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Movie Reviews of The Lion in Winter
Movie Review: Very Good Remake!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
The Lion in Winter is my favorite play. The original movie with Katherine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole is my second favorite movie. But this version with Glenn Close and Patrick Stewart is a very good remake. The script is almost exactly the same as the play and original movie, but the little extra flourishes and scenes makes it a special rendition. Fine acting from the main two actors, Glenn Close and Patrick Stewart, as usual. She is one of the finest American Actresses ever, and Mr. Stewart is capable of excellent performances in any acting medium. John Light (Geoffrey) was just as good as John Castle in the original if not better. The subtle nuances of his plotting mannerisms was delicious to watch. Andrew Howard (Richard) was better than Anthony Hopkins (who was great in the original but not as polished as his later work). Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (Phillip) was adequate but I felt that Timothy Dalton was magnificent. My only displeasure in this version was Rafe Spall (John)and Julia Vsotsky (Alais). He was a foppish idiot of the first order and her acting was not mature enough. Nigel Terry was a very good John as well as Jane Merrow as Alais. The scenery was dated very well to the time frame. I believe that it was filmed within Hungary. Anyone who views this movie would enjoy it but if they are familiar with the original movie, please keep in mind that both movies are based on a play.Movie Review: Quite good
Summary: 4 Stars
I have not seen the first version of this film done in 1968 and from what I've heard the newer version does not match up at all. However, watching the film was a very enjoyable experience. I picked this film up because it has Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as the King of France in it- he does a stunning job as do all the actors. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I first purchased this DVD but I was very pleased. I was pleased with the work the actors did and the dialouge (which was very dry and bitter humour). It is a long film and at the last 3 or 5 scenes my patience with the film had waned and I was longing for it to be over. Though it is good, it is by no means astounding. Overall, I'd say watch this one on a rainy Sunday but I wouldn't rush out to buy it unless you are (like me) a tremendous fan of one of the actors in this film.Movie Review: Lion in Winter
Summary: 4 Stars
Good movie, same lines as the original with Peter O'tool, supporting cast was rather weak. Richard was badly cast, as was the young King of France. The poor armor was really fake looking. But overall, the lead characters of Henry and Eleanor made the movie worth watching.Movie Review: The Lion In Winter
Summary: 4 Stars
A different view froim the O'Toole/Hepburn classic but very well acted and still as engrossingMovie Review: A good effort.
Summary: 3 Stars
The original Lion in Winter is one of my all time favorite films, which is odd because, except for rare occasions, I never much cared for either Katherine Hepburn or Peter O'Toole. So, when I saw this new version of the movie on the movie rental shelves, I was rather excited as I like both Patrick Stewart and Glen Close a lot.
The film was, unfortunately, a disappointment. Close and Stewart both do well, their timing isn't as impeccable as O'Toole's and Hepburn's, so the film loses some of it's humor, but they do manage to make the parts their own. Jonathon Rhys-Meyers is VERY good as King Phillip and better, in fact, than the original. Also better than her original incarnation is the actress who plays Alice (I'm not sure if that's the correct spelling of her name), she's much stronger than the original girl and makes her role more important.
Where the film really fails is in the boys. First of all none of them seem to have any relationship with their parents. The first film had the feeling of a family squabble over the holidays. This one is more of a love story between Close and Stewart with Alice in the middle. The boys and Phillip seem incidental and though that is the point of Phillip's character it should not be so of the brothers. Also, how the boys are played is a problem. Richard is not likeable and though it's mentioned that he writes poems and that is played up in his character is the war side. When Henry claims Richard was the best I'm a bit dubious as in this version Geoff seems to be, which also shows a failure in how the film makers percieved Geoffrey's character. I think perhaps they felt sympathetic towards him because no one loved him, but I feel no one loved him for a reason, which never comes across in this version. As for John his main problem is just that the actors to old to be believable in the role.
The other main problem with this version is that it's soooo slow. It takes ages for it to get its audience interested and even then it just sort of meanders towards its conclusion. I don't know if this is the fault of editing or what. I know at the beginning it's the fault of too many scene changes, a problem with which most play-to-movie adaptions are fraught.
I'd also like to say that the computer matt-paintings for the outdoor shots and exterior shots of the castle are just awful as is the case in everything Hallmarks has made since and including Gulliver's Travels. This is a problem that's easy to overlook, however.
Ultimately, the movie is interesting despite being slow and it's fun to watch Close and Stewart especially towards the end. The best scene is credited to Close in which she's trying on her jewels after her first defeat and she joined one by one by her children. She really made you feel for her.
I've given the movie three stars, which, to me, means it's definately worth watching once, but not buying.