My only complaint about this movie was that it was just a little too long. I tend to “slow-watch” movies I like which means I run the movie back at various points and re-watch scenes I either missed or really liked and want to see again. I felt like I slow-watched this movie despite never hitting the “re-wind” button on the remote control. The story was told in three chapters from the differing points of view of the three main characters. I felt like I watched the same scene more than once which slightly annoyed me. Nevertheless, I loved this movie. Directed by Ridley Scott, it held my interest for 2 and a half hours (except when I found myself watching the rape scene again). The acting was superb – although Ben Affleck resembled Will Farrell in Zoolander a bit too much. Matt Damon, Adam Driver and Jodie Comer gave compelling performances. The movie had the SOUND of a BIG movie… boom, boom, boom… if that makes any sense at all! The battle scenes were terrifying. The final duel scene had me squirming. The nuance in the relationship between husband and wife was “frank and real,” to quote one of my divorce clients. And the suspense was steady all the way through the story (again, except for the repetitive scenes). This is a good movie for a weekend movie night. Especially if you are eating a big red slightly bloody steak and washing it down with some good red wine. Medieval France was definitely not a place for sissies.
In looking at the reviews of this film, they were very mixed. One reviewer called the story-telling “exhausting,” and I can relate to that. Another critic called it a Monty Python-esque parody (I am blaming that on Affleck’s performance). Other critics praised this film as an epic and modern tale that didn’t appeal to millennials because it was too long. The film did not do well at the box office but has found more success on streaming platforms. Like I said, it is best watched at home while you are grilling a steak, drinking a good French red wine and feeling macho.
