Movie Review Black Los Angeles

BlackNLA Movie Reviews

*****THE REEL DEAL: Reviewz from the Street*****

by Edwardo Jackson

BIASES: 30 (yikes!) year old black male; frustrated screenwriter who favors action, comedy, and glossy, big budget movies over indie flicks, kiddie flicks, and weepy Merchant Ivory fare

TRISTAN & ISOLDE (PG-13)

MOVIE BIASES: Historical fiction? Pre-sold.

MAJOR PLAYERS: James Franco (City By the Sea), Sophia Myles (From Hell), Rufus Sewell (Dark City), and director Kevin Reynolds (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves)

In the Dark Ages, shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire, Brittania is a squabbling group of disjointed tribes that don't trust each other, under the constant threat of Irish terror. When the Irish slay his parents and burn his village, young Tristan (Thomas Sangster) is adopted into the family of widowed King Marke (Sewell), who raises him alongside his own son Melot. Years later, a grown Tristan (Franco) engages the Irish in battle, is wounded and left for dead, only to wash ashore in enemy territory. Gamely nursed back to health by the Irish princess Isolde (Myles), Tristan falls for her, with them strengthening their love before his secret return to England. From there on out, they have to keep their love a secret from their antagonistic countries, from their friends and family, and sometimes from each other in order to survive.

"Before there was Romeo & Juliet, there was Tristan & Isolde," boasts all the movie's advertising. Being sold as a chick flick, "T&I" has a surprising amount of action to it, with several adrenaline-pumping swordfight scenes (full disclosure: the fight choreographer, Nick Powell, was my Stage Combat instructor in grad school). With a trite if not serviceable script by Dean Georgaris (The Manchurian Candidate remake) that features occasionally leaden dialogue ("Why does loving you feel so wrong?") and some bad poetry, "T&I" is harmless entertainment that exposes the mini-complexities of human emotion. Reynolds keeps the movie afloat (sorry, Kevin – no more "Waterworld" jokes!) and moving through what's basically your standard bow and broadsword affair, only tinged with the political stratagems of Dark Ages love. Narrowly avoiding camp, Reynolds' "T&I" is set with beautifully dark, moody U.K. landscapes and a seriousness of period purpose that might beset its MTV-targeted demo (have you SEEN the air guitar commercials for this thing?) with a case of the giggles.

James Franco, on the verge of Hollywood's Next Big Thing List for almost a decade now, gets by on blank charisma and mop-headed good looks. Despite looking like a joyless Abercrombie & Fitch model in a tunic, Franco's Tristan proves a pretty ferocious fighter who, allegedly, wears his "certainty like armor." Far more interesting is the spunky performance by Sophia Myles as Isolde and Bronagh Gallagher (The Commitments) as Isolde's overprotective handmaiden Bragnae. Native Londoner Myles' Irish accent is flawless, her commitment to the sometimes flat dialogue laudable. Rufus "I came out the womb with a five o'clock shadow" Sewell is stalwart, professional, and sympathetic throughout as father figure King Marke.

"Love is made by God," lectures an impossibly earnest Myles as Isolde. "If you ignore it, you will suffer more than you can possibly imagine." Ack. Let not this pre-Renaissance, chick flicky pop psychology deter you from seeing this film, lads. With a slyly complicated plot and battles galore, once again, I implore you: Who doesn't like a good swordfight?

@@@ REELS
(THREE REELS)
It's pretty hot – go give it a shot.

Like what you read? Agree/disagree with The Reel Deal? Think he's talkin' out his...HUSH YO' MOUF! (I'm only talkin' about The Reel Deal!) Email him at ReelReviewz@aol.com!

Edwardo Jackson is the author of the novels EVER AFTER and NEVA HAFTA, (Villard/Random House), a writer for UrbanFilmPremiere.com, and an LA-based screenwriter. Visit his website at www.edwardojackson.com




			BlackNLA Movie Reviews ***THE REEL DEAL: Reviewz from the Street*** by Edwardo Jackson BIASES: 30 (yikes!) year old black male; frustrated screenwriter who favors action, comedy, and glossy, big budget movies over indie flicks, kiddie flicks, and weepy Merchant Ivory fare TRISTAN & ISOLDE (PG-13) MOVIE BIASES: Historical fiction? Pre-sold. MAJOR PLAYERS: James Franco (City By the Sea), Sophia Myles (From Hell), Rufus Sewell (Dark City), and director Kevin Reynolds (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) In the Dark Ages, shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire, Brittania is a squabbling group of disjointed tribes that don't trust each other, under the constant threat of Irish terror. When the Irish slay his parents and burn his village, young Tristan (Thomas Sangster) is adopted into the family of widowed King Marke (Sewell), who raises him alongside his own son Melot. Years later, a grown Tristan (Franco) engages the Irish in battle, is wounded and left for dead, only to wash ashore in enemy territory. Gamely nursed back to health by the Irish princess Isolde (Myles), Tristan falls for her, with them strengthening their love before his secret return to England. From there on out, they have to keep their love a secret from their antagonistic countries, from their friends and family, and sometimes from each other in order to survive. "Before there was Romeo & Juliet, there was Tristan & Isolde," boasts all the movie's advertising. Being sold as a chick flick, "T&I" has a surprising amount of action to it, with several adrenaline-pumping swordfight scenes (full disclosure: the fight choreographer, Nick Powell, was my Stage Combat instructor in grad school). With a trite if not serviceable script by Dean Georgaris (The Manchurian Candidate remake) that features occasionally leaden dialogue ("Why does loving you feel so wrong?") and some bad poetry, "T&I" is harmless entertainment that exposes the mini-complexities of human emotion. Reynolds keeps the movie afloat (sorry, Kevin – no more "Waterworld" jokes!) and moving through what's basically your standard bow and broadsword affair, only tinged with the political stratagems of Dark Ages love. Narrowly avoiding camp, Reynolds' "T&I" is set with beautifully dark, moody U.K. landscapes and a seriousness of period purpose that might beset its MTV-targeted demo (have you SEEN the air guitar commercials for this thing?) with a case of the giggles. James Franco, on the verge of Hollywood's Next Big Thing List for almost a decade now, gets by on blank charisma and mop-headed good looks. Despite looking like a joyless Abercrombie & Fitch model in a tunic, Franco's Tristan proves a pretty ferocious fighter who, allegedly, wears his "certainty like armor." Far more interesting is the spunky performance by Sophia Myles as Isolde and Bronagh Gallagher (The Commitments) as Isolde's overprotective handmaiden Bragnae. Native Londoner Myles' Irish accent is flawless, her commitment to the sometimes flat dialogue laudable. Rufus "I came out the womb with a five o'clock shadow" Sewell is stalwart, professional, and sympathetic throughout as father figure King Marke. "Love is made by God," lectures an impossibly earnest Myles as Isolde. "If you ignore it, you will suffer more than you can possibly imagine." Ack. Let not this pre-Renaissance, chick flicky pop psychology deter you from seeing this film, lads. With a slyly complicated plot and battles galore, once again, I implore you: Who doesn't like a good swordfight? @@@ REELS (THREE REELS) It's pretty hot – go give it a shot. Like what you read? Agree/disagree with The Reel Deal? Think he's talkin' out his...HUSH YO' MOUF! (I'm only talkin' about The Reel Deal!) Email him at ReelReviewz@aol.com! Edwardo Jackson is the author of the novels EVER AFTER and NEVA HAFTA, (Villard/Random House), a writer for UrbanFilmPremiere.com, and an LA-based screenwriter. Visit his website at www.edwardojackson.com Â© 2004, Edwardo Jackson