The Count of Monte Cristo

Reviewed by: Suad Bejtovic, Bosnian Movie Critic

Directed by: Kevin Reynolds

Starring: Jim Caviezel ,Guy Pierce, Richard Harris

Alexandre Dumas may be the favorite writer of ambitious movie producers, but Count of Monte Cristo provides a bit more "meat" for the directors and actors than the musketeer adventures. Besides being set at lavish and exotic locales, it’s a timeless story of revenge, and its characters and their relationships are a genuine challenge. In this latest attempt to recreate that story, the director Kevin Reynolds holds up his end of the bargain, while the actors fall just short.

The story is known for a couple of centuries already – Edmond Dantes (Jim Caviezel) is an honest second mate on a commercial ship, who is betrayed by his friend Fernand (Guy Pierce). Fernand is driven by lust for Edmond’s fiancee Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk), and the unfortunate set of circumstances leads Edmond straight to the notorious Chateau d’Ilf, a dungeon-style prison for the forgotten inmates. Edmond abandons both faith and hope, until his luck turns one day when a gray head of a fellow inmate (Harris) protrudes through the floor of his cell. The two will team up in the desperate effort to get out from the hell they’ve been imprisoned in for years.

The transformation begins when Edmund busts out the prison, consumed with hate and desire for revenge. Slowly, he will bring his wrongdoers to justice, but along the way, he will find peace with himself and with God. However, Caviezel, otherwise a fine actor, doesn’t show the entire scope of emotions his character is given. His Edmond is good as a naive, illiterate Edmond, but he lacks the touch of darkness to show the full mystery of Count of Monte Cristo. At his opposite, Guy Pearce showed the touch of cruelty in Memento and a bit of determination in LA Confidential, and he manages well to be a deceptive and ruthless weasel. Richard Harris provides a touch of credibility to the movie, and the ease with which he plays Abbe Faria is amazing, even for a veteran actor of his caliber. The sequences in the Chateau d’Ilf bring memories of great chemistry between Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins in Shawshank Redemption.

As mentioned above, Kevin Reynolds scores big with lavish production and stuninng visuals. Just as in his previous period epic, Robin Hood: The Prince of Thieves, he uses well the natural settings, including several magnificent Chateau d’Ilf scenes shot at a small island off Malta. The movie looks awesome, and everything from costumes to sets, has been given full attention. The movie fills both full hours (and some change) with interesting visuals and captivating action, and the result is truly watchable entertainment.

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