Genres

Visitors Review

Steve 2012-05-20 19:28:20

F for a reason

I hope he does sinse this movie was so bad. maybe they'll be smart and not do anything like this. this is a rancid, horrible, and disgusting(because it is so bad) movie.

PoppyTransfusion 2012-05-20 03:37:24

Reminiscent in mood and feel of 'Name of the Rose'

The film pairs the director Paul McGuigan with lead actor Paul Bettanyonce more; Bettany was the star, though not the lead name, ofMcGuigan's 2000 film 'Gangster No 1', Bettany's breakthrough role.Set in medieval/feudal times the film's plot pits the poor people, theserfs, against the noble elite, the lords. The conviction of a woman,set to be hanged, for the murder of a boy, is the backdrop to atravelling group of actors of the Royal Court arriving in the hamlet tostage their uninspired morality plays based on scenes from the Bible.In their midst is a priest (Bettany), who is on the run for a crime ofhis own. Inspired by the murder the actors decide to stage a play oftheir own creation the first enactment of which leads to the discoverythat the woman due to be hanged is not guilty of the murder. Whatfollows is a series of reckonings in which there is an ultimatereckoning for the priest.The film cast is an eclectic one (American, British and Spanish) withmany well known and fine actors. Not all are well employed thoughBettany, Dafoe (dodgy regional English accent aside) and Elvira Minguez(who plays the wrongfully convicted mute Martha) give strongperformances. Bettany and Minguez are especially good, playing theirrespective roles with passion and emotion. For any Bettany fan this ishighly recommended as he does what he does best - look beautiful whilstcombining cynicism with earnestness.The mood and feeling of the medieval period, sometimes described as thedark ages, is really well captured and there is a strong sense ofausterity, chilliness and mystery/menace throughout. The director useslighting well: an early scene, illustrative of this, shows Bettanycutting his hair to rid him of the emblematic hairstyle of a priest. Ablue filter is used conveying ice and water metaphors for the coldexistence of a priest now cast out. Moments like this make the filmquite compelling viewing.The film is rather ambitious trying to show religious collusion withcorrupt politics, man's struggle with God, injustice, the lot andpolitics of being an actor in this era as well as ordinary moraltorments. It possibly would have been more effective if the directorhad focused on just one of these themes.I can imagine this gaining cult status in time not least for the scenesin which Dafoe practises Ashtanga Yoga poses.

Katie Washington 2012-05-13 17:55:15

A movie to Remember

This movie is very engrossing and gives you a true walk into someone elses shoes! There is a message to be learnt here! People make mistakes and sometimes people come across true evil and fear.

2012-05-13 00:00:38

Not a Family Movie

I did enjoy this film and so far agree with the reviews thus far. But I also think it is important to point out that although it is a good movie and it does speak to the issue of good and evil for those who would notice it, it is also about a madman's preying on young boys and killing them. It is rated "R" for that reason and the graphic images.

WasteBot 2012-05-12 06:36:02

Medieval mystery full of surprises.

An excellent follow-up film for those who enjoyed the Passion of the Christ,and maybe even more so for those who did not. It lacks the vivid depictionsof violence that Passion has (and probably would be more accurately rated asPG-13), but otherwise has the same sort of haunted ambience and style to it,though darker and colder. The setting is 1300 years later in England and involves a young priest onthe run who joins a traveling acting group that specializes in bringingbible stories to life in plays.Yes, that sounds boring, but there is plenty of action and suspense,including such unexpected events as digging people from their graves and awitch. The story moves along swiftly, provides great cinematography, asubtle soundtrack, and rarely dwells on a point too long.Like any good mystery, it's always surprising, helped by acting that createstense moments between characters. In a way, it's a shame it opened aboutthe same time as Passion. It deserves more attention, and maybe some ofthat controversy, but it appears to be stuck in art-housetheaters.

2012-05-11 20:47:44

Promising film ruined by Bettany's dead energy

I enjoyed the book by Barry Unsworth titled, "Morality Play." Although slight, it has a lot of atmosphere, fine writing and period detail. The main problem with the movie is in the casting. Willem Dafore is fine as the Player's leader, even though I would have preferred a British actor in the role. The rest of the cast add nothing to their underwritten parts. A charismatic lead might have compensated, but Paul Bettany is so utterly colorless that he drags the movie down until it is impossible for it to recover. Tedious!

squishyjelly 2012-05-11 10:05:02

Tremendous

The Reckoning is a fantastic film that embraces all the aspects of aperiodpiece, a drama, and a mystery. The plot is a beautiful mixture of goodvs.evil, man vs. man, man vs. himself, and man vs. God. The younger style ofBettany mixed with the classic styles of Dafoe and Cox mirror the plot'svarious themes. Cinematography (not just what we see, but what thecharacters see) contributes tremendously to the heart of the story. Thebasis of the film, "The truth shall come to light," will leave you with asense of needed self-discovery and/or reconciliation to a new breed oflife.I hope all who see this work of art will experience, as displayed in thefilm, a "Reckoning" of their own.

2012-05-10 11:13:22

Easy to get into and out of

PROS + Beautiful cinematography, good casting, interesting plotCONS - Timing was sometimes off, sub-plots were underdevelopedThis was an enjoyable period piece with a decent plot and fine acting. Nothing more ... or less.

2012-05-05 08:46:18

Traveling actors in medieval England solve a murder

This 2004 film is set in medieval England in the year 1300. Paul Bettany plays the role of a priest who has been discovered in an act of adultery and has to run for his life. He meets up with a traveling troupe of actors whose leader is Willem Dafoe, and the group enters a town in the hope of making a few shillings and having their traveling cart repaired. The townspeople are not interested in their play because there is a real life drama unfolding around them. A mute woman is accused of witchcraft and sentenced to hang for the murder of a young boy. The players decide to produce a play about that incident and Willem Dafoe visits her in her jail cell where she tells her story through sign language. Convinced of her innocence, they produce a new play. But naturally there are complications. Filmed in Spain and England, the feeling of the times, and especially of the dirt, disease and poverty are captured well. The story is a good one although a little hard to follow. But, by the end, however, I understood it perfectly. Acting was uniformly good and I did feel the complexities of such an ambitious plot. However, the film editing could have been better. In one scene particularly, there were a few discordant spots that would have been better left on the cutting room floor. Also, in spite of the attempts of the producers, this was no Shakespearean play. And although I did enjoy it, it was always from an outsider's perspective. I never really got caught up in the emotion. I was also hoping for some extras on the DVD because I would have liked to go a little bit behind the scenes. But, alas, there was none. Generally, I think this film was good. And it does get my recommendation. It just doesn't belong at the top of my list.

2012-05-05 00:03:50

What the actors may have thought about their role in Hamlet

This movie, `The Reckoning' which answers the question of what kind of plot can you construct in a Norman ruled Saxon village in the time of the plague in 11th century England of Richard the Lion-Hearted with a traveling troupe of actors who just lost their leader and is joined by a priest running from an adultery / murder he committed in a neighboring village. And, what can you do which will not even raise the slightest hint of contemporary heroes `Robin Hood' or Ivanhoe'.The first thing which impresses me about the movie is the contrast between the dullness of the clothes, faces, colors, and buildings in this movie compared to the similar foothills town of Edoras in `Lord of the Rings' which seems to shimmer with life, fresh air, magic, and portent. Somehow, it works, but it is almost a cliché in moviemaking to make the faces of medieval peasant folk be streaked with dirt, as if they never thought of doing anything with water aside from drinking it. These are observations and not criticisms. The set decorators, costumers, and makeup artists have all contrived to make the scenes and cast in this movie seems to have just stepped out of a Vermeer painting. Paul Bettany's facial structure and pallor of skin look especially medieval. The same can be said of most of the rest of the cast, except for Willem Dafoe, who looks inextricably 20th century, based on his well-known appearance in many well-known movies, not the least of which was `Platoon'.As the movie is a mystery, I have to be careful not to give too much away, as I am certainly recommending that you buy and see this movie if you have any taste at all for very intelligent thrillers, especially one with none of the 21st century mechanical violence involving cars, trains, trucks, motorcycles, and high powered firearms. This is pure drama, without even the kind of gimmicks used in the Sean Connery medieval mystery, `The Color of the Rose'. On the other hand, it is far more intense with very serious emotional involvement of the principles with the story than you will see in the very tame `Brother Cadfael' mysteries set in approximately the same time and location.As I suggest in the title, this story is very much based on how things would be seen by the traveling dramatic troupe appearing in `Hamlet'. The biggest difference between the troupe and the play in `Hamlet' and in `The Reckoning' is that in the latter, the recreation of the crime is the idea of the players, not the prince or other contractee. The idea arises innocently enough when the troupe's conventional morality play performances bring in a very meager audience, barely enough for the actors to pay for the burial of their dead. So, the leader of the troupe (Dafoe) suggests recreating the story of the woman condemned to execution for stealing from and killing a teenager on the evidence of a young monk. Based on very crude observations about the corpse and demurs from the audience, the suspicion arises that the deaf and dumb woman was not the perp. As the play arouses unrest among the peasants, the baron's men quickly direct the troupe out of town at sunup. The suspicions aroused by the play lead to the death, possibly from suicide, of the primary suspect in the affair, the young monk.The 110 minutes of dialogue on the screen does not have the time to explore Norman English politics, so the relation between the officials carrying out the hanging, the baron, and the local magistrate who is oddly sympathetic to the actors' story, are not fully explained. Relations between the various actors create situations that are also not fully explained. The medieval tradition of men playing all womens' roles is also assumed, even though it may be mysterious that the troupe includes a woman whose place is confined to costuming and collecting admissions. She does not even have a vote in decisions of the troupe, even though she is the daughter of the recently dead leader and brother to the new leader. Her only perk seems to be that she gets to ride in the wagon while all the men walk.The script is based on a novel entitled `Morality Play', and I really wish they had retained this title, as it does a much better job of getting you into the sense of the story. There is also much too little made of the Bettany character's history aside from some vague, brief flashbacks whose sole purpose seems to be to explain what drives the character to pursuing the truth behind the murder which is a the heart of this story.The characters are all believable, the story is true to the facts and logic of life in Medieval Norman England, and the thread which takes the principles to the climax is interesting and believable, in spite of just a bit of skimping on background. It is immensely satisfying to find a story where the motive of the ultimate perp is simply because he wanted to, and he could.This movie may never ascend to status of cult classic, but it is truly a little gem of acting, directing, and setting into time and place. Highly recommended viewing.

2012-05-02 15:28:35

Lighting Up the Past

If you're going to set a movie in the 14th century, you can't have brightly lit interiors. That's one thing wrong with "The Reckoning," a "Name of the Rose" wannabe without the mystery or research. Note the advances of medical science, rules of evidence at trial, and burial, exhumation and autopsy practices, all non-existent at the time. Also note the arty lensing and editing, at odds with the sense of period. If by the end you understand the backstory, which is key to plot and character, it's of little use then. A rogue priest (Paul Bettany) joins some traveling actors who create a play about a real deaf-mute woman convicted of murdering a teenage boy. In rehearsal and performance, they learn that she is innocent and everyone knows it. Unfortunately, what we want is a movie, not a concept. It is possible to respect the one while regretting the other. "The Reckoning" is based on a Barry Unsworth novel doubtless a better read than its transfer to the screen and this bare-bones DVD. A pity, too, because the acting by Bettany and Willem DaFoe is focused and nuanced. The concept, with its civic and moral subtexts, has tantalizing potential. Would that Tom Stoppard had liked the concept first, or that 14th century historian Barbara Tuchman had doctored the script, which keeps doubling back to explain itself. "The Reckoning" is a watchable movie when with more care it could have been a wonderful one. Brother Cadefael is never around when you really need him.

2012-05-01 21:18:02

modern day morality play/murder mystery set in the middle ages

This review is from: The Reckoning (DVD) I enjoyed this movie. Paul Bettany and Willam Dafoe gave good performances and the story was good. I was a little confused by the flash-backs at the beginning, especially since you don't get the full story of what is really happening in the flash-backs until the end of the movie. I had never heard of this movie before, but has glad that I tried it. The mystery isn't bad either.

2012-04-29 19:51:24

Riveting Drama

This Spanish production of "The Reckoning" is an excellent film. Paul McGuigan also directed "Wicker Park" in 2004. Fortunately, this one works and coherently tells the tale. I particularly loved how it built to its climax, swooping the viewer along in the reality of the drama, until the final moment. McGuigan's "Gangster No. 1" was also an extremely interesting picture that also starred Paul Bettany; so this is their second pairing of which I'm aware. Based on the novel "Morality Play" by Barry Unsworth, the story tells of a defrocked priest, a fugitive, who joins a wandering group of theatrical players. I enjoyed the theatre history which seemed authentic with the wagon as their stage and the low status that actors enjoyed during this time period. Paul Bettany has showed a diverse range with amazing ability and will surely be a breakthrough star in the near future. In "Wimbledon" he was the romantic lead in that light comedy; in "Gangster No. 1" he was quite believably a ruthless killer; in "Dogville" with Nicole Kidman he was the sensitive neighbor; in "The Heart of Me" he was an unhappy & unfaithful husband; and here he is an intense and brooding man of faith. His performance is edgy and carries the picture. Willem Dafoe has twice been nominated for Best Supporting actor, "Platoon" in 1986 & "Shadow of the Vampire" in 2000. Whether he's playing the villain in "Spiderman" or the brooding kidnapper with Robert Redford in "The Clearing," he always brings a great intensity to his role. As Martin, the leader of the troupe of actors, he adds depth to a part that easily could have been more superficially performed. I also have to admit that I was amazed at how limber he is doing a handstand! One of the shining performances in the film comes from Spanish actress Elvira Minguez as the mute woman accused of murder. Her eyes speak volumes in this part, communicating a great range of feeling. Gina McKee from "Notting Hill" and "Wonderland" plays Sarah, the sister of Martin who gets a crush on Paul Bettany's character. Brian Cox who was riveting as the bad guy in "The Bourne Supremacy" and also played in "Troy" & "The Ring" does a great job as the older member of the troupe, slow to change. French actor Vincent Cassel first came to my attention in "Birthday Girl" with Nicole Kidman and then totally captured my interest in "Read My Lips," a film about a deaf woman who witnesses a crime and helps a small-time gangster. His rugged looks often typecast him as a gangster ("Oceans 12"); and here he plays the sleazy Lord de Guise who embodies pure evil and has a penchant for violating young boys. From the excellent pacing of this film, the great look of the cinematography, and the penetrating performances, I found this to be an excellent production. The DVD does not offer many extras, which is somewhat of a disappointment. However, the movie is excellent! Bravo!

2012-04-29 10:42:59

2 stars out of 4

The Bottom Line:A dull, stupid, and--above all--obvious murder mystery of a film, The Reckoning may intrigue you with the premise of a whodunnit set in medieval England, but the awful execution and ridiculous climax will be sure to diminish any interest you may have had: read the book (Barry Unsworth's "Morality Play") instead of wasting your time here.

ma-cortes 2012-04-27 01:08:12

Mystery and impressive sets in the Middle Age

The yarn talks upon a priest(Paul Bettany) who is joined to comedianactors troupe(Willem Dafoe,Gina McKee,Brian Cox,among others). Theywill arrive a village with a castle ruled by a tyrant(VincentCassel).There happen one murder and is framed a deaf mute woman(ElviraMinguez).The film deals Dark Ages ,it's a time of destruction,hunger,deceasesand rampage. It's developed in 14 th century ,England,during KingRichard's time, the Normans vanquished at Saxons. The war and pestoriginated millions dead. The picture mingles medievalset,drama,suspense,sex,love and is enough entertaining. The motionpicture was in great majority directed in Spain (Andalucia) and has abreathtaking scenarios. The movie obtained a limited success ,in UnitedStates has got a flop and achieved a lukewarm reception by the public,in Europe attained most box office because is an European film morethan American. The picture gets a certain resemblance to ¨the name ofthe rose¨ thus the Middle time, the suspense,intrigue and the killingenigmas. The principal actors are very well, Paul Bettany and WillemDafoe interpretation is top notch likeness to the support cast,BrianCox,Ewen Bremmer,James Cosmo,Matthew Mac Fadden are outstanding andextraordinaries. Cinematography by Peter Soba is magnificent and MarkMancina music is atmospheric. The movie is correctly directed by PaulMcGuigan.Rating : Good.Well worth watching.

ma-cortes 2012-04-26 12:25:54

Mystery and impressive sets in Middle Age

The yarn talks upon a priest (Paul Bettany) who is joined with acomedian actors troupe (Willem Dafoe, Gina McKee, Brian Cox , amongothers). They will arrive in a village with a rousing castle ruled by atyrant (Vincent Cassel). There happens one murder and is framed adeaf-mute woman (Elvira Minguez). The priest discovers the killing hasoccurred and attempt to solve it by recreating the crime in a play .The film deals with Dark Ages , it's time of destruction , hunger,deceases and rampage . It's developed in 14th century , England ,during King Richard's time , the Normans vanquished Saxons . War andpest originated millions of deaths . The story mingles medieval set ,drama, suspense , sexual situations , a love story and is entertainingenough . The motion picture was in great majority directed in Spain(Andalucia) and has breathtaking scenarios . The movie obtained alimited success , in the United States got a resounding flop andachieved a lukewarm reception by the public ; however Europe attainedmore box office because is a European film more than American . Thepicture gets a certain resemblance to ¨The name of the rose¨ , thus theMedieval time , suspense , thrills and intrigue about killing . Themain actors are very well , Paul Bettany and Willem Dafoe'sinterpretations are top notch likeness to support cast as Brian Cox,Ewen Bremmer, James Cosmo, Matthew Mac Fadden , all of them areoutstanding . Cinematography by Peter Soba is magnificent and MarkMancina's musical score is atmospheric . The movie is correctlydirected by Paul McGuigan.Rating : Good. Well worth watching.

anonymous 2012-04-24 23:42:33

Horrible

People roaming about being play actors in the 17th century. This movie has no value. People roaming about being play actors in the 17th century. This movie has no value. People roaming about being play actors in the 17th century. This movie has no value. People roaming about being play actors in the 17th century. This movie has no value. People roaming about being play actors in the 17th century. This movie has no value. People roaming about being play actors in the 17th century. This movie has no value.

andmaybethen 2012-04-24 16:18:26

Absolutely Brilliant (SPOILERS)

I enjoyed this movie immensely. The plot surrounds Nicholas, a fugitivepriest who has committed a terrible crime(Paul Bettany). He joins upwith a troupe of traveling actors led by Martin(Willem Dafoe)andTobias(Brian Cox). They agree to let him join, and travel to a town inFrance(??). Upon their arrival, they become aware of the death of ayoung boy and the woman accused of the crime. It is soon apparent thatthe woman, Martha (Elvira Minguez) is clearly not guilty, and Nicholasand the other actors try and solve the murder by re-creating it in aplay.The plot is so thick and gritty, and filled with twists and turns. Theactual events are a bit graphic and overall quite disturbing, and theend breaks my heart. The sets and costumes are more accurate than anyMedieval movie I've watched in a while.The acting is simply wonderful, although some normally great actorsaren't quite given enough.(Ewen Bremner tries hard and isn't aseffective as was intended) Paul Bettany, who started out as a naked,cheeky actor in "A Knight'sTale", gives a simply stunning performance as Nicholas with as muchdepth and grit as anyone could ask. He's become a favorite of mine andis one of the most underrated and under-appreciated actors of today'stimes. Willem Dafoe is a joy to watch, as always. He gives a heartfelt (andrather bendy and flexibly) performance. Vincent Cassel iseeeeeevvvviilllll. And damn good at it. Overall, the three principalactors mentioned above are really what carry this intense, suspensefuldrama.The film does deal with some tough issues (murder, rape, Christianityamong some of them). A lot of people are calling it 'negative'. It isnegative. The whole situation is negative. There's not a whole lot ofjoy in this movie. But the character of Nicholas is not an archetype ofall Catholic priests (and I'd certainly hope not). And the movie isactually pretty relevant to somethings happening in today's worlds (RE:rich and powerful people getting away with heinous crimes without anyreprimand and how society should do more about it.*coughmichaeljacksoncough*) All in all, I enjoyed this movie a lot and will rent it or buy it toown. **** out of ****

2012-04-18 06:37:43

Ridiculous

Hey folks, look! It's Scooby Doo meets CSI in the FOURTEENTH century! A traveling band of actors decides to investigate a murder??? Its the dark ages, but a one-man exhumation (in frozen ground, no less!) is performed along with a rudimentary autopsy and the details of rigor mortis are common knowledge! wow, what history books did these guys read? The production design and costumes were well done - outside of that, give me a break. No attempt was made to make the dialogue sound even remotely accurate for the times, and the pacing was tediously slow. Not a good flick overall.

jotix100 2012-04-17 12:26:49

A Canterbury tale

This film was a total surprise for me. I went to see it without any preconceived ideas; I had no clue what to expect. I based my decision on thethe strength of the cast here assembled. It proved me right, as this is amovie that is very satisfying without being pretentious, or preachy.It is, without a doubt, a major achievement for its director, Paul McGuigan.It probably would be intimidating to undertake a project of this magnitudeand still bring together all the right elements to make this film enjoyable.The only sad part is that it seems this film is not getting its fair sharethe way it's being marketed, at least in this country.Paul Bettany is amazing as the young priest who commits a terrible sin andhas to leave the security of his church. He is fortunate to meet with thekind hearted Martin, and his troupe of players. William Dafoe is very goodas the principal actor in this group. Brian Cox's role is brief, but he isvery effective. Elvira Minguez has no dialogue at all, but her presence iscrucial to the story and her Martha adds another layer to thestory.Despite the different acting styles and accents, the story keeps the viewerengrossed in the story. I do hope it will get the audience it sadly needs,for this is a much better film than the silly stuff being offered thesedays.