Tristan & Isolde
An affair between the second in line to Britain's throne and the princess of the feuding Irish spells doom for the young lovers.
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- Cast:
- James Franco , Sophia Myles , Rufus Sewell , David O'Hara , Mark Strong , Henry Cavill , Bronagh Gallagher
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Reviews
The Worst Film Ever
People are voting emotionally.
Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies
Who would have thought it? This is a historical romance set in a time period virtually ignored by Hollywood, based on a 12th century narrative. And it's actually good! I wasn't expecting the themes here to be dealt with in such a mature fashion, but it goes to show that films like this can still be made when the right intentions are behind them. The director of this one is Kevin Reynolds, who made the much-maligned ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES, but thankfully Bryan Adams is nowhere in sight this time around. The lack of modern knowledge about this period in history means that there's less scope for historical anachronisms, but they're still here! I can overlook the presence of a Norman-style motte and bailey castle, but to have one character quoting a John Donne poem (written some thousand years after this film is set) is inexcusable. Watch out for the fork at a dinner table as well.Otherwise, the backdrop looks and feels good, and I was pleased to find that there's action and battle here, including a rousing climax and a tournament that recalls that of GLADIATOR (Ridley Scott served as producer on this). The central love story is slightly mishandled, because we end up losing sympathy for the lead characters, particularly Isolde, whose frequent errors of judgement contribute to the tragic storyline. I didn't particularly care for the casting of Sophie Myles either – her Irish accent is all over the place. Imported American lead James Franco is better as the tough hero, but, as with Costner, there's something that screams 'Hollywood' about him, taking away from his authenticity. The good news is that we get Rufus Sewell playing the third spoke of the love triangle, and he's simply superb as the sympathetic king. Sewell usually gets typecast as the bad guy in Hollywood films, but he plays a fully rounded figure here, and he's the best thing in the film, bringing all his scenes to life. I would say that I wish he'd played the hero, but I think his character is actually much more interesting, so I'm not complaining.So, as with ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES, despite the anachronisms, this is a thoroughly entertaining movie and one I wouldn't mind watching again. Stunning location photography, romance, battle, conflict, a fine supporting cast and plenty of twists – that's what I want from my historical films!
This film tells the story of an English prince and an Irish princess falling in love, in the time when the two countries were hostile to reach other."Tristan + Isolde" tells a tale of love that could not be allowed under the societal circumstances. Their love is well portrayed and is convincing. The leading lady is charming and beautiful. The prince, played by the then not as famous James Franco, is also good in his role as a heterosexual lover. It's a sad story with lots of emotions. The remarkable thing about this film is that it has many actors who have subsequently made it big. Even the young Tristan claims "The Maze Rubber" fame!
...Tristan. Sadly the plot was very predictable and that is due not so much for pre-knowledge of the text but more the glut of similarly themed films the past 10 years.Rufus Sewell is excellent as 'Mark' as was the villain Marc StrongI will say in an era of 'feminazis' it is good to see strong male roles and their character shown in times of stress which brings me to FrancoJames Franco sadly does not inspire acceptance as anyone who has 'experienced' life. It's not his fault but he looks more like one of the extras for those Ralph Lauren cologne ads shot on Long Island.Isolde was very believable and she acted like a strong but morally corrupted soul. Franco looks like his real skill is soap operas or as a stand in for Joseph Fiennes - a gigolo.
It was valiant effort to make this movie to acquaint modern audiences with this legendary tale behind the famous opera. Like another famous medieval legend, King Arthur, it's got a frustrating but passionate story or forbidden love. This time it's between an Irish princess and a warrior from England. Yes, they've been fighting since way back then.The main fault is in the casting and acting of the leads. Sophia Myles isn't pretty enough to be the lead. Although not unattractive she is more supporting cast than romantic heroine. She is probably one of the reasons this movie wasn't a big hit. James Franco looks dashing but rather sullen and inexpressive. He doesn't bother to fake an accent much which is good because it might have been a disaster. Supporting cast are better with good performances from Rufus Sewell, Mark Strong and the now rising star Henry Cavill.The battle scenes are confusing with everyone looking alike. Not too violent luckily. Overall worth a watch to see the story brought to life.