The Lion in Winter
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Movie Reviews of The Lion in Winter
Movie Review: Was this remake really necessary
Summary: 3 Stars
In a world which sees more and more remakes - some classics are better left alone. This is one of them. Glenn Close is no Katherine Hepburn and that's probably the major weakness of this remake although Patrick Stewart isn't a Peter O'Toole either. The image of Jean-Luc Picard keeps popping up and you keep expecting him to utter something like "Make it so, Number One" at any moment.The original also gave us a pre-James Bond Timothy Dalton as Phillip of France in a vastly underrated performance. And let's not forget Anthony Hopkins as Richard.
Historically, if this movie were to be made with any accuracy it would feature French actors instead of English ones since French was the language spoken by Henry and his family. It's highly unlikely any of them - including Richard and John - spoke much if any English, so if its going to be re-done, perhaps utilizing French actors is the answer.
Meanwhile, pop in your DVD of the O'Toole/Hepburn original and if you're wondering which version to purchase - go with the original.
Movie Review: But Why?
Summary: 3 Stars
To be sure, the reasoning behind many of today's films defies understanding. This one is no exception.Although the main stars all give adequate performances, and the screenplay is exactly the same as the original, the question remains. Why remake one of the finest films of all time? Who could have possibly thought there was room for improvement? Why not remake Casablanca or Citizen Kane while we're at it?
Again, I fault not the actors in this treatment, for they all did fine jobs - if pale by comparison to the originals. My problems with this film stem with the powers that be who decided to produce it in the first place.
Movie Review: Slight correction
Summary: 3 Stars
One correction for a previous review. JULIE Harris was not in the Broadway production of "Lion In Winter". It was another wonderful actress, ROSEMARY Harris.One other interesting piece of casting, it was an early role for Christopher Walken as the King of France.
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.
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.