Michael's Movie Grade: A+
A masterful adaption of Alexandre Dumas's classic book.
This French film feels like a throwback to the old school Hollywood literary adaption. It has a timeless feel to it like this movie could have been made in any time period, past, present or future. Though it changes quite a bit from the book, the major themes of the classic story are still here. Not only that but these themes are just as effective today as they were when the original story was released in 1844. Though the story takes place in the past, the examination of how vengeance can completely consume a person and how easy it is for someone to lose sight of who they truly are make this 19th century story feel positively modern. I found myself incredibly moved by this film and became engrossed rather quickly. For a three-hour movie, this film is completely engrossing from start to finish. The characters and themes feel so real that even with its long length my attention never once wandered. The characters retain the complexity of those in the book. There are no typical good guys and bad guys, here every character is deeply human here and features a certain amount of moral ambiguity. We relate to and feel for our main character but at the same time are horrified at what he is becoming. This combination of sympathy and fear, help create an incredibly compelling character. Pierre Niney's great and often subtle performance as this character helps make him all the more compelling. Like many of the classic Hollywood literary adaptions that this film emulates this is a very handsome looking movie. The visuals are simply lovely to look at and help draw us into this 19th century world. They simultaneously feel larger than life and completely believable at the same time. This combination helps the movie capture the feeling of the book incredibly well.
This is one of my favorite movies of 2024 and a must see for anyone who loves great old-fashioned storytelling.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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