First Knight, 1995

First Knight, 1995
Director: Jerry Zucker
Cast: Sean Connery, Richard Gere, Julia Ormond



First Knight in short: Lancelot lives by the sword. In fact, they're next door neighbours, so teaming up to fight for money comes pretty naturally. Lady Guinevere, on her way to marry King Arthur is ambushed by the evil Sir Malagant. Fortunately Lancelot is lurking nearby and he rescues his future queen. They fall in love, but Guinevere still fancies the idea of wearing a crown, so she honours her promise to Arthur. Can Lady Guinevere remain faithful, or will this Pretty Woman become a lady of the knight?

Stage: home theatre again
Preps: Also a piece I have seen for several times up to now. An adorable one, can't wait to see this energy again

Reality: Lancelot, Guinevere, knights of the round table, history, saving the poor to feed the rich - the content that drives me absolutely crazy. If it were possible, I would make dozens of movies on the topic, because I never get fed up with this. Again, this piece doesn't dissappoint me. Gere in his best years, as Lancelot, the guy all the women want to have. Virtues torn in Guinevere, and loveable king Arthur, wow.. the movie is filled with action, yearning for love towards the country, or to the woman and vice versa. Also with faith and trust of the citizen. Love for the past and ancestors. Redemption. Paying back a debt. Being loyal or being independent.. a nurtured scene with great cast and music. Everything a movie like this could wish for.
Never became one of the greater ones, though. Why is that, if everything I have written so far, is so good? Well, I believe, the key lies in the fact that it just has a great content and not so great execution. The love yearning is real, though. I love the triangle and I cannot dare to judge the lady or freelancer for trying out to have the lady. And the king, overcoming this. Or even not, because he drags out a court, later saved by the bell by the warriors, storming in the holy city and killing everyone, including the king. If the king lived, I suppose the ending wouldn't sound so Hollywoodish. Because in this sense, it just kills the time reality (in that time this wasn't bound to happen). It just grows deeper in the hearts of the viewers for curing their souls with a happy ending. Not likely to happen in the real world.

Nevertheless, a true love story I like to see over and over again.


My personal rating: 8,0 (truly lovable movie that needs to pour into my veins every now and then. Worth seeing Gere with long hair :)).

First Knight on ImDB

Troy, 2004

Troy, 2004
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Cast: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom


Stage: Home theatre

Troy in short: It is the year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age. Two emerging nations begin to clash after Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnom to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. So they set off with 1,000 ships holding 50,000 Greeks to Troy. With the help of Achilles, the Greeks are able to fight the never before defeated Trojans. But they come to a stop by Hector, Prince of Troy. The whole movie shows their battle struggles, and the foreshadowing of fate in this remake by Wolfgang Petersen of Homer's "The Iliad."


Preps: I have seen this piece several times and it is one of my favourite ones. In terms of genre, the actors, the scenery, the music. Each time I find something new.


Reality: Troy as always inspires me and doesn't leave me breathing up to its end. All the historical or antique fans worldwide will be dragged right in the middle of the movie, historical scenery, beautiful music and powerful cast. You cannot decide which root to follow, which side to take, as they impersonate glory and rage on one side and pride on the other side. A woman to be inbetween as the ultimate reason to kill and to die for. At least to some extent to some of the involved ones, the "management" of the war.

On other side, pure rage and following the leader in ranks, seen violence and harmony in ways the greeks or troyans fight. Beautiful mask, costumography makes me want to be a woman at that point. And in no dream a man. It is simply not realistic to die for honour or to die so you will be written about somewhere in the future. Nowadays, the idea seems outdated, still, in this movie it will dry your brains and leave you with your mouth wide open. What is worth to die and fight for? Love, romance? Country? Your dead relatives? Or the ones, that died side by side fighting with you?

I believe this to be on the same level as one of my most popular ones - Gladiator. The protagonists are so powerful I think about all of happenning way after end of the movie. Although very long, lasts only a minute in my mind. And I beg for more.


My personal rating: 9,5 (one of the best impersonements of my all time favourite greek heroes and stories)

Troy on IMDB

Troy home page

Robin Hood, 2010

Robin Hood, 2010
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Kate Blanchett, Russel Crowe, Max von Sydow, William Hurt




Robin in short:Oscar winner Russell Crowe stars as the legendary figure known by generations as Robin Hood, whose exploits have endured in popular mythology and ignited the imagination of those who share his spirit of adventure and righteousness. In 13th century England, Robin and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power. And whether thief or hero, one man from humble beginnings will become an eternal symbol of freedom for his people.


Stage: Local colloseum /theatre

Preps: I am a bit skeptical in sense of not trying to expect too much (I have done a mistake like this in seeing Sherlock Holmes). I am definitely a fan of idea of Robin Hood, but another remake of something we saw so many times already? Russel Crowe gives me hope this will be something good, also Ridley Scott, one of my favourite directors. I definitely want to see this at the movies.


Reality: One of the best pieces I saw, definitely for the last decade. Definitely best movie of the year in my eyes so far, in this genre in perticular. Scott did a great job here. The first surprise derives from the fact, that you see the pre-story of Robin Hood and not the one we saw animated, in 10 remakes. You get to see where Hood really derives from, how the idea with the taxes went (even for someone that didn't really study hard at hystory class the idea would be clarified now).

I am amazed by the action, by dialogues, by costumography, scenography and also, the selection of the music. I finally get to know where Little John, Alan d'ale and Fryer Tuck come from. They are realistic, and so is Robin Hood. Since I expected a similar character as in Gladiator, I am more than satisfied. This is a type of cast Crowe should really look for in the future, it suits him perfectly. Blanchett also has an important and independent role here, I am amazed by the perfection her irony is selected and praised then by people that surround her.Take this for instance (what she tells to Locksley when he is sleeping in the same room): I sleep with a dagger. If you ever move as to touch me, I will sever your manhood.

The idea of waiting for a man for 10 years, because he's fighting for the king, is real for that time, and gives me shivers as I see directly how it can be manifested and then how much damage a war can do to the people, the land and moral in general.

The movie is definitely a masterpiece on several levels. The two hours and a half pass by in a minute. And I want to see it again and again. If you didn't know what to do with the sea and the water fights when you saw the trailer (in sense - didn't Robin Hood live in the forest?!?!) - well, Scott makes perfect sense out of this. And sets political dilemmas (France over GB) in front.

Definitely something I will see again. And what is the fine tune in the movie? Rise, and rise again. Until lambs become lions.


My personal rating: 10 (nothing to add, I would just go to see it again right after I saw it. Excellent)


Robin Hood on IMDB
Official sites

Mona Lisa Smile, 2003

Mona Lisa Smile, 2003
Director: Mike Newell
Cast: Julia Roberts,Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles



Mona Lisa in short: A free-thinking art professor teaches conservative 50's Wellesley girls to question their traditional societal roles.

Stage: home cinema, TV selection on a rainy Thursday

Preps: seeing this movie every now and then gives me the creeps about the role of a woman half a century ago. It makes me appreciate what women have accomplished so far and equalizes the role play in my mind for both sexes :=)


Reality:

Julia Roberts is an art professor with a unique (and for that time unnacceptable) way of thinking. And teaching. I must imagine it's a nightmare coming into your first class having all the students already read (and not just read, also self-tought) everything you wanted to teach them. Furthermore, Catherine (Julia) shines out of this system like a candle in the wind, with everyone trying to shut her down or make her uncomfortable and ready to leave, because she just doesn't fit.

Fitting into society is what this piece is all about. And making yourself aware of that role you are supposed to play in your life or life of the others, accepting or denying that. Is really a role of a woman something that can be defined? Furthermore, can it be defined through shirt pressing, housewif-ing, bearing children and be educated at the same time? The role seems to fit perfectly to some people, for others it may seem a burden.

Watching this movie will make you think about these things thoroughly. Watching, how a system can crack someone just for the sake of the argument, or make someone crawl, just because they don't think alike, is just devastating and so sad. However it was an important part of our society and in some cases or in some parts of the world, it still is alive. Sadly enough, I think most of the people choose to be sheep and follow the herd. For all individuals... well, life's a challenge, often prosecuted for their own thoughts and deep misunderstandings by the society.


My personal rating: 8,5 (extremely good in philosophical kind of way. I strongly recommend it).

Mona Lisa Smile on IMDB
Official sites