Film Talk: New adaptation of classic novel is top of the bill
With the bank holiday behind us, the summer is sadly sliding away - but all is not lost.
Those of us who, in our heart of hearts, prefer the comfort of a majestic dark room and a bucket of popcorn can rejoice as tomorrow is National Cinema Day!
An unabashed celebration of the big screen, this one-day wonder will land at over 630 venues across the UK, all of which are giving film fans the chance to enjoy the flicks at a reduced ticket price.
It’s no secret that since the pandemic, multiplexes across the land have been fighting to get bodies back in the billet, and tomorrow will be a chance for families to enjoy the thrill of the flicks without breaking the bank too much.
But what delights have the Hollywood gods seen fit to wheel out to tempt us?
A re-make of an absolute classic, Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière’s The Count of Monte Cristo is top of the bill this week. Starring Pierre Niney in the role of Edmond Dantès, this fresh adaptation of the acclaimed Alexandre Dumas novel is sure to pack cinemas to the rafters with period dram fans looking for a fix.
Alongside this French fancy, Elliot Page is back and centre-screen in Dominic Savage’s Close To You - a close-to-home drama for Page, following a trans person heading for a family reunion for the first time since their transition.
And - though certainly not one for the technophobes - John Cho is aiming to steal the show with Afraid - a sci-fi horror flick directed by Chris Weitz that explores the potential dark side of a smart home system.
Happy National Cinema Day, folks - let’s dive in...
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (UK 12A/ROI 12A, 178 mins)
Released: August 30 (UK & Ireland)
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.
AFRAID (UK 15/ROI 15A, 84 mins)
Released: August 30 (UK & Ireland)
Horror films Ex Machina and M3GAN exploited a fascination with artificial intelligence to unleash murderous mechanised monstrosities on their creators.
The bloodletting continues in a tense thriller written and directed by Chris Weitz, which pits one unsuspecting family against an innovative smart home device.
Curtis (John Cho) and his wife (Katherine Waterston) are selected to test a digital family assistant called AIA, which is intended to simplify their day-to-day lives.
Cameras and sensors are installed around the family home so AIA can learn the behaviours of each member of the clan, including teenage daughter Iris (Havana Rose Liu) and her younger brothers Preston (Wyatt Lindner) and Calvin (Isaac Bae). AIA becomes fiercely protective of the family and will not tolerate anyone who interferes with their happiness.
As the revolutionary home device tightens its control with tragic consequences, Curtis and his brood realise there is nowhere to hide from AIA.
SING SING (UK 15/ROI 15A, 106 mins)
Released: August 30 (UK & Ireland)
Professional actors Colman Domingo and Paul Raci join a cast of former real-life inmates to sow seeds of hope in a life-affirming drama directed by Greg Kwedar, inspired by John H Richardson’s magazine article The Sing Sing Follies.
Kwedar’s film is based on the Rehabilitation Through The Arts (RTA) programme, which operates at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison, and follows a group of incarcerated men as they rehearse the original musical revue Breakin’ The Mummy’s Code.
Among the throng are John “Divine G” Whitfield (Domingo), imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, Clarence Maclin (himself), Sean “Dino” Johnson (himself) and Mosi Eagle (himself).
Playwright and theatre director Brent Buell (Raci) is an RTA volunteer, dedicated to helping the men better themselves.
Bound by a common purpose, prisoners develop strong fraternal bonds as a small theatre group and foster self-worth.
TOUCH (UK 15/ROI 16 TBC, 121 mins)
Released: August 30 (UK & Ireland, selected cinemas)
Celebrated Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormakur ruminates on lost love in a tender romantic drama, adapted by the director and Olaf Olafsson from the latter’s novel.
Reykjavik restaurateur Kristofer (Egill Olafsson) is painfully aware of the first signs of his dementia and he forlornly clings onto memories of the past for as long as possible.
Kristofer closes his establishment and travels to London where he spent his college years working in a Japanese restaurant owned by Takahashi-san (Masahiro Motoki).
In lustrous flashbacks to the 1960s, Kristofer recalls his younger self (played by Palmi Kormakur) developing a love of Japanese culture under the stern mentorship of Takahashi-san.
The restaurateur also remembers his simmering passion for Takahashi-san’s dutiful, English-speaking daughter Miko (Koki).
CLOSE TO YOU (UK 15/ROI 15A TBC, 99 mins)
Released: August 30 (UK & Ireland, selected cinemas)
Actor Elliot Page draws on personal experience to co-write an intimate and largely improvised drama about the complexities of gender identity with director Dominic Savage.
Sam (Page) is poised to return to his small hometown on Lake Ontario for his father’s birthday.
It will be the first time he has seen his family since transitioning and Sam is understandably nervous about returning to the fold from his new home in Toronto, where he feels comfortable as his authentic self.
En route, a chance encounter with high school friend Katherine (Hillary Baack) stirs up old memories.
Sam’s parents welcome Sam back and confront long-buried feelings of guilt and regret.
