 |
|
|
|
|
MOVIES FRONT | MOVIE REVIEWS | INTERVIEWS | COMING SOON | BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS & REPORT | NEWS | LINKS |
The Triumph of Love (2002) Paramount Classics 1 hr. 54 mins. Starring: Mira Sorvino, Ben Kinsley and Fiona Shaw. Directed By: Clare Peploe The Triumph of Love Rating:  
E-MAIL GIANCARLO DE LISI This critic has never been an avid admirer of period pieces. They tend to be overdramatic and display an acute sense of melancholy that I do not find myself partial to. ‘Triumph of Love’ is a period piece that at times can be quite enchanting, and at other moments may seem like a droopy, overdramatic and mundane film. Director Clare Peploe adapts a Marivaux play first performed in 1732 co-written by Marilyn Goldin and Bernardo Bertellucci into a fairytale. Mira Sorvino stars as a Princess fixated on returning her homeland’s throne to its’ rightful heir who happens to be a prince under the protective custody of a deliciously uncovered Ben Kingsley who portrays a famous philosophist. Kingsely excels as a solitary intellect that outshines the rest of the cast as a man urged to follow his sexual thriving for the female flesh that he has come to loathe. Hermocrates (Kingsley) despises the opposite sex and preaches these values to his subject Agis. Little does Agis know that he is the rightful heir to the throne and the film’s momentum slowly builds upon this tiny aspect. Reminiscent of ‘Shakespeare in Love’, Sorvino plays a Princess who must disguise herself as a gentleman caller in order to penetrate the grounds Agis inhabits. The film directly starts with the resolute transformation from Princess to Man in the Princess’ chariot and before the opening credits are over, we are straight into the story. The film structures itself through a triangle of deceit, manipulation and false love as the Princess must first gain access into the grounds and then find a way of being welcomed as a guest. Seduction of the sexes is a primary factor as the Princess eyes both man and woman in hopes of luring the young Agis who she is ultimately in love with. Director Clare Peploe crafts a witty period piece that will appeal mostly to its’ intended audience who appreciate and understand the manner in which these films unravel themselves. Peploe’s first attempt at differentiating the film from the theatre production in which it based upon is to give the film a unique cinematic style different to the conventional ‘movie based on play’ productions. Peploe uses her camera wisely and enjoys tracking the actors in their scenes as the play is removed from the film. Yet, we are candidly reminded that this was indeed a play when we see the whole cast within a matter of moments and notice the same areas being used for principal photography. Credit must be given where credit is due, Peploe conveys the artistic integrity of the film beautifully but in my opinion, a play is a play. No matter how much exquisite beauty one can frame within a film, or no matter how many times you use clever camera work to make your actors appear as true thespians, the film seems to sporadically quicken in pace and then slow itself down into a paste at times that ruins the overall enjoyment of the film. Furthermore, watch for an interesting musical finale lifted from the play that explains why throughout the film we see audience members dressed in current day clothing within a period piece. While it is a clever and crafty little film, the film will not appeal beyond its’ intended audience due to the fact that while it is an interesting piece at times, it tends to get bogged down in semantically torrid and comedic sequences that deter the picture. Its’ subtle yet profound theme of sexuality is best served under a different pretext and while it has some truly great dialogue, it still cannot save the film from a mediocre exercise from a playwright’s mind. Click here to comment on this review or post your own thoughts. Giancarlo De Lisi © TheWorldJournal.com |
|
|
MOVIES FRONT | MOVIE REVIEWS | INTERVIEWS | COMING SOON | BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS & REPORT | NEWS | LINKS |
|
|
|
|
Sponsored Links |
| Web Hosting Forum - Web hosting, marketing and webmaster related issues. Find the best hosting for your website! |
| Top
Box Office Movies © TheWorldJournal.com, All rights reserved. Student News Network For the best advertising rates at TheWorldJournal.com (120x600 - new banner format by the Interactive Advertising Bureau), click here. Back to top |
e-mail: info@theworldjournal.com sales: sales@theworldjournal.com |
||
Hi,everybody, good news for you that you can buy wow gold and runescape gold here any time when you need. www.savorgold.com has a professional and experienced team. We possess good reputation for our satisfactory diablo 3 gold, guild wars 2 gold, Blade & Soul gold, Swtor Credits, tera gold service. With the service tenet 'customers are gods', we have earned trust from customers. Our experienced team is able to offer you not only cheap Diablo 3 Gold, guild wars 2 gold, but also professional wow power leveling, wow powerleveling service, that is safe and efficient. Customers always enjoy our generous benefits when buying in our site. Our mission is to provide professional wow gold, runescape gold, diablo 3 gold service, fast delivery, and lowest price.