The Lion in Winter
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Movie Reviews of The Lion in Winter
Movie Review: A Bad Idea
Summary: 2 Stars
Well as an EQ coach, and someone who studies nonverbal communication, it's interesting - and very illuminating -- that you can take one of the best scripts ever written, and leave the words as is, and come off (in this case) with a decidedly inferior product. What's fascinating is this is like the undrebelly, the in side, of history. What it was like for a family. One thing that's good about the video is the outake and discussion at the end. But this review is going to be all about - what WERE they thinking? Who could follow O'Toole and Hepburn. That's really the bottom line. I can't imagine anyone present-day doing a better job than Glen Close, but she can't quite, and King Henri doesn't make the cut either. They have no power - as characters or as people. I agree the sets aren't as good either. They manage to make some of the lines even sound silly. The one thing that's marvelous in this version -- FAR better -- is the King of France. What a fantastic job Jonathan Rhys-Meyers did, and what a gorgeous young man. Save your money. See the original. There's no, NO comparison. Movie Review: Roaring Lion
Summary: 5 Stars
I dunno what's wrong with the other reviewers, but perhaps they're stuck in some sort of time warp--seems they can't see the remake's merits because they're too entwined with the original.
I, for one, absolutely LOVED the Close/Stewart remake. I thought it well-acted, well-directed, and well-produced. Close's deadpan, "Of course he has a knife. We all have knives. It's 1183 and we're BARBARIANS!" was right on the money, while Stewart's Henry seemed to have genuine affection for Alais. I found John's whininess so surreal that I almost had the urge to slap my own younger brother! LOL
I give this one five stars, and I highly reccomend seeing it--without disdain for its departure from the original. After all, who'd want to see a clone, anyway?
Movie Review: Though not a masterpiece, a movie worth watching!
Summary: 3 Stars
The story unfolds a few years before the Third Crusade a.k.a. the Kings' Crusade (1189-1192). It is 1183; France is split between the kings of England and France respectively. While the English crown is in the hands of Henry II, he grows old and his three surviving sons (Richard, Geoffrey, and John) grow restless and eager for the throne. Things get a bit more complicated when their mother Eleanor of Aquitaine also gets involved in the schemes of succession.
On the positive side: a) it is a good plot and the acting is above average, b) the setting and costumes are excellent, and c) there is a wonderful feel of History; the clash between the English and the French is fascinating and very well presented throughout the film, as is the clash within the royal family.
On the negative side: a) one could say it is way too "theatrical," even for a film that it is based on a play, b) it does get to be very slow at times, c) everyone within the family seems to be overly self-centered and selfish; there are no "good guys," none whatsoever...
In short, though not a masterpiece, The Lion in Winter is a movie worth watching!
History, Intrigue, and Drama are all about.
Strongly recommended to those who love History and Western European History in particular. 3? Stars
Movie Review: LOGIC EVAPORATES
Summary: 1 Stars
There are times in the world of movies when it seems that all logic evaporates. A remake of THE LION IN WINTER, the 1968 masterpiece starring Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn, is such time. Nothing in this movie comes remotely close to the original. In taking the role as Henry II, Patrick Stewart continues a line of miscasting messes that have included his trying and failing to best Gregory Peck's Ahab in a remake of MOBY DICK, and trying and failing to make a credible Ebenezer Scrooge while falling well short of George C. Scott's masterful portrayal in A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
Glen Close is just awful! When compared to Katherine Hepburn, Close is like having a tuna sandwich when lobster is on the menu!
The rest of the cast is equally abysmal. How do you replace Anthony Hopkins, Timothy Dalton, John Castle and Jane Merrow? You don't as evidenced by this film. How can you think that you can? That remains the mystery!
THE HORSEMAN
Movie Review: First: Why? You can't improve on perfection
Summary: 2 Stars
There are a few things in life that are perfect. The 1968 original of 'Lion in Winter' is one such rare thing. Why remake it at all? There was only one way such a project could compare to the original: badly. The brilliant flamoyance and radiant light that burst from O'Toole and Hepburn are missing here.
Instead we have a Patrick Stewart who fails as Henry II for the very reasons he succeeded as Aelius Sejanus in 1977's 'I, Claudius' and Capt. Jean-Luc Picard on the Star Trek: Next Generation. He simply is not the right man for part of this type. Especially after the genius of O'Toole's 1968 performance.
This remake is a perfect illustration of what separates the good (even the very good) from the great. The icy precision that made Glenn Close such a delicious Marquise de Mertuil in Steven Frear's 1987 'Dangerous Liasions." But Eleanor of Acquitance was no cold, scheming machine. She was a woman of strong passion and appetite, every inch the equal of Henry and the superior of all other men around her. In the chaotic mess of the 12th century she shines out as a shining beacon that West was reawakening.
Close's emotional scenes seem more histrionic than accomplished. The dignity and gravitas that made you ready "suspend disblief" for the original, simply isn't here in this version. I'm not saying Close is hamming it or overacting. She's trying to imitate things Hepburn had and she doesnt. It doesn't work. Katherine Hepburn, as Close did with the Marquise, has forever cemented that role as hers. No other actress could or has done it justice. Even more so Eleanor of Acquitaine. It's not a fault, it's a question of charisma. Close is now, arguably, our greatest living actress. But this part is not hers.
Further she and Stewart lack the chemistry that O'Toole and Hepburn created so magnetically. In the original, it seems like a window in time; suspension of disbelief was easy with Hervey's gritty, low budget direction then.
The real failure is the supporting cast. They get an F. Minus. No, I won't be that harsh, but they are simply less than B actors. Even the 'Bend like Bechkam" star who plays French King Phillip Augustus comes off as doing a bad Joaquin Phoenix impersonation a la 'Gladiator.' They simply aren't up to snuff. Julia Vsotsky (Alais) seems to struggle with Goldman's still noble lines. She lacks the heart-rending beauty of the original Alais and the acting skills. The rest seem to struggle with delivering lines period.
In all, as it had to be, a disappointment. Calling it "solid" is generous in the extreme. The movies rises close to the origianl only in a few scenes in the second half; I leave to judge which ones. Only in these does the suspension of disbelief take hold; only these few scenes do we forget we're seeing acting and become immersed in the story.
As I said, this movie illustrates the good from the great. Patrick Stewart is a good actor. He's competent and thorough; can anyone else imagine another as Capt. Picard? But he doesn't have the charisma or elan of O'Toole.
Close, a truly great actress, is simply miscast. Some challenges shouldn't be met. The performance is a misfire and, in this film at least, she captures none of the scene-stealing glory of 'Dangerou Liasions" or the unforgettable collapse at the end of that same movie. Here, her skills simply don't work.
Stick with the original. It's still one of the greatest films of all time. This remake, however, is not. And, it simply wasn't necessary. The first was a complete vision, nothing was missing, no improvement could be made. And, it it isn't.
I also note that this was Executive Produced by Stewart and his estragned or divorced wife, Wendy Neuss (a STNG producer). One wonders if this disaster lead to another.
Avoid.