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The Lion in Winter ReviewsRating: 5 - Magnificence and splendor! This period piece is one of the most witty, biting, intense, and thoroughly modern stories you'll ever encounter. An excellent screen adaptation of a play by James Goldman (he wrote the screenplay himself), this masterpiece has one rare characteristic: No actor is miscast! Who can play the overbearing, shrewish, grandiose, yet victimized Eleanor of Aquitaine other than Katherine Hepburn? (She won her third Academy Award for this incredible performance.) Who can portray Eleanor's better half better than Peter O'Toole, a wise, aging, but still powerful Henry II who keeps his wife locked up and who can reason about all things under the sun except who shall inherit the throne of England? And then there are the children: three very different sons intent on grabbing the throne, each for different a motive. Anthony Hopkins delivers a gripping performance as Richard the Lionheart,the eldest living brother, a fierce warrior with deep emotional problems which he refuses to face. Nigel Terry plays the youngest half-witted John whose greed is only surpassed by his stupidity - look out for some fine acting! But the middle one, Geoffrey, is the character that stays with you most: a dangerously intelligent, anguished young man who does the most gruesome things in a desperate bid for his parents' affection. The actor who so superbly and subtly portrays this tragic figure is John Castle, now relatively little known. One cannot but wonder how such a talent went almost unnoticed all this time. Then there are the two French siblings: Alais, Henry's hostage and love, played by the exquisite Jane Merrow, and young king Phillip, come to Henry's court to finish his dead father's business, played by a venomous Timothy Dalton. Another detail which makes this film extraordinary: its soundtrack. John Barry got an Academy Award for the music, but apart from that, this is one of the best film scores in history. It has a medieval flavor, but the treatment is novel and effective. For any lover of broad, expansive characterization and intricate, emotionally charged story-telling, this film is a must! In this movie you have all of the themes of familial dysfunction: the vitriol and wistfulness of an estranged couple, the frustrations of the "model" eldest child, the resentment of the neglected middle child, the eccentricities of the overindulged youngest child, a May-December affair triggered by a mid-life crisis, holiday depression, and it goes on and on. This movie is so adept at exploring these topics that it makes "American Beauty" (a good film in its own right) seem almost sophomoric. What makes this movie stand out is the writing. There is no other movie this side of "The Godfather" that has contained such enjoyable dialogue and character development. The dialogue in this movie is outstanding ("It's not the power I feel deprived of, it's the mention that I miss"; "Give me a little peace/A little? Why so modest? How about eternal peace? Now there's a thought.") I doubt there will ever be another movie that will be so skillful in weaving together historical material, political intrigue, and slice-of-life issues into so seamlessly. This is one of my 10 favorite movies. Please rent it, and if you can find it, buy it. As King Henry VII, Peter O'Toole has never been better. His pompous, cackling portrayal of the 12th century monarch was perhaps the best of his career. Katharine Hepburn is even better as the sheltered and ignored Eleanor of Aquitane, who was forced to SHARE the 1968 Best Actress Academy Award with Barbra Streisand(Funny Girl). Why??? A young Anthony Hopkins(as Prince Richard) and Timothy Dalton(as the King of Spain) are also quite good, and the two share the most interesting(to say the least) scene in the film. John Barry cranks out the best and most electrifying musical score of his career, and Anothony Harvey's detailed direction is perfect. The script is as quick, clever, and witty as the play it was based on(and won a much deserved Academy Award). Who could ask for more? Why this film was cheated out of the Best Picture Oscar(see my review of "Oliver!", the winner that year) is beyond me. One of my Top 50 Films of All Time(website address to be published on other reviews when the page is completed).
The Lion in Winter |
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