The Count Of Monte Cristo (12A)

Unerringly honest merchant ship first mate Edmond Dantes is promoted to captain above envious rival Danglars. The new position elevates Edmond's social standing and finally allows him to marry sweetheart Mercedes Herrera. Alas, Danglars makes false allegations against Edmond and public prosecutor Gerard de Villefort rubberstamps Edmond's treason. Arrested at the altar on his wedding day, Edmond serves 14 years in an island prison and vows revenge against the men who wronged him.

LondonNet Film Review

The Count Of Monte Cristo (12A) Film Review from LondonNet

Sometimes, revenge is the best form of success. For the outrageously wronged hero of The Count Of Monte Cristo, an unquenchable desire to rip out the hearts of viperous conspirators paves a one-way path to self-annihilation. Galloping onto the big screen after yesteryear’s muscular double whammy of The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan and The Three Musketeers: Milady, writer-directors Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patelliere‘s handsome period drama is a thrilling distillation of Alexandre Dumas’s mid-19th century adventure novel…

Their script elegantly condenses the tangled plot into a soupcon under three hours and sacrifices none of the emotional impact. Sympathy is firmly tethered to young Edmond Dantes as he seeks out the three men who cruelly condemned him to serve time for a crime he did not commit. The character’s transformation into the eponymous nobleman is accomplished through Mission: Impossible-style disguises, which render him unrecognisable to former allies.

Delaporte and de La Patelliere demonstrate remarkable stamina to sustain dramatic momentum, emboldened by a compelling lead performance from Pierre Niney as the escaped convict turned debonair avenging angel. Nicolas Bolduc’s lustrous cinematography, Stephane Taillasson’s sweeping set design and Thierry Delettre’s ravishing costumes repeatedly seduce hungry eyes. Bon appetit.

Unerringly honest and decent merchant ship first mate Edmond Dantes (Niney) is promoted to captain above envious rival Danglars (Patrick Mille) after he rescues a drowning woman. The new position elevates Edmond’s social standing and finally allows him to marry sweetheart Mercedes Herrera (Anais Demoustier). Alas, Danglars makes false allegations against Edmond and public prosecutor Gerard de Villefort (Laurent Lafitte) persuades Mercedes’ cousin Fernand de Morcef (Bastien Bouillon), who covets her, to sign a declaration confirming Edmond’s treason. “He is not worth dragging your family name through the mud,” sneers de Villefort.

Arrested at the altar on his wedding day, Edmond serves 14 years in the island prison of Chateau d’If. He befriends neighbouring inmate Abbe Faria (Pierfrancesco Favino), who shares the location of his family’s secret fortune so Edmond might start anew following their planned escape. “Will you do good or will you fill your heart with hate?” Abbe Faria tenderly enquires. The wronged man chooses revenge and in the guise of an enigmatic Count, he ruthlessly targets everyone who betrayed him, aided by willing accomplices Andrea (Julien De Saint Jean) and Haydee (Anamaria Vartolomei).

The Count Of Monte Cristo builds to a rousing, inescapably tragic yet hopeful conclusion with panache, punctuated by energetically staged sequences of seafaring heroism and swordplay. Niney is magnetic, catalysing powerful and contrasting screen chemistry with co-stars including Demoustier’s swooning bride-to-be and Bouillon’s two-faced traitor. Composer Jerome Rebotier’s propulsive original score enforces the illusion that the necessarily lengthy running time feels closer to two hours than three. That creative deception is a true sign of success.

– Jo Planter