We saw this movie years ago when we were big fans of Musketeers movies (actually, we still are!) and after re-watching it a couple days ago we thought that a review was absolutely necessary.
The story begins in 1654 in a convent of the South of France where Eloïse, daughter of the musketeer d’Artagnan, lives since her childhood. After witnessing the murder of her mother superior by the mysterious Lady in Red and the cruel Duke of Crassac, the young woman senses a conspiracy against the young King Louis XIV and promptly goes to Paris to gather the help of her famous father and his companions, now retired from their duties as musketeers.
D’Artagnan’s Daughter (or The Revenge of the Musketeers in the U.S. and we’re still wondering why this choice of title) is one of those adventure movies we always like to watch no matter what, even if the story is not the classic tale by Dumas. But after so many adaptations, this one can still bring a little something that makes it special.
The stars of the movie are undoubtedly Sophie Marceau and Philippe Noiret. The relationship father-daughter is very real and there’s complicity between them that makes every scene enjoyable.
Sophie Marceau is a delightful and may we say radiant Eloïse. Fiery, witty, passionate, sometimes reckless and with a rare talent to put herself in the most awkward situations, just like her father at the same age when he arrived in Paris to become a musketeer. From the first scenes at the convent, where she was not able to mingle with the other young woman and the nuns, we sense many good stories to come. She is the light of the movie!
Those familiar with French and European cinema must known how talented Philippe Noiret was. He could play anything and always capture the essence of his characters. Here it’s no different. He embodied the aging d’Artagnan with such class and confidence. Twenty years have passed and you can still feel the fire of the young man who, along with his friends, terrorized the Cardinal Richelieu’s guards. Exceptional performance, as always!
Bertrand Tavernier directs this adventure movie with an irregular pace but the humor and witty dialogues are a pleasure to follow and will make up for some script holes here and there.
While not extraordinary, D’Artagnan’s Daughter is a perfect movie to revisit the swashbuckling genre that never really grows old, at least not for us.
IMDB: http://french.imdb.com/title/tt0109798/
{ 1 trackback }
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Now that I’ve read your review I can’t wait to see this! :-)
I watched this movie years ago. It’s reall funny. I loved it. :)
Thanks – this looks fun!
I saw this when it first came out on VHS, lol, and I really enjoyed it, SM did a great job I thought.
I really want to see this! I loved Sophia Marceau in Braveheart :)