heather-238
but look at the end of the count of Monte cristo. Doutbless the intimacy was not that intense.There is an ick factor, but considering he has saved her life countless times, in the grand scheme of things who else would she marry? She'd be dead eight times over if it wasn't for him.My problem was that Alteuil always appeared 50, he really looked wrong aged for the younger scenes. if a younger man than the duke could have been found, i guess those later scenes would not have worked because then that person would have been too old to play the concept of the older character...they say these feelings just dawned on them, a funny play on Aurore's name, sleeping beauty reference, etc.i consider Aurore's parental re-orientation to having a mother the key change, Aurore is then free to adopt a new figure in the parental role, freeing Lagardere to be a new, "other" role. Does his name mean "the guarding" or something? this movie was good clean fun, and the writing had me wishing so many other movies were as fun. When the Duc goes to knight Lagardere, he finds the knight to be has no Christian name. "Indeed, you lack everything". too funny.
dafyddabhugh
The previous comment (about the ending) is valid, from a contemporary standpoint. However, there is such a history, both in literature and in real life in 1700 (and indeed later), of exactly this sort of situation (dancing around a spoiler here) that it didn't bother me... as of course it would have in a more realistic, less fairy-tale-ish movie.I just plain loved it, without the caveat, which is considerably more plausible than, e.g., one brilliant swordsman defeating eight or nine simultaneous attackers <g>.This movie falls somewhere between the Princess Bride and Rob Roy on the realism scale -- two other movies I loved. It has a definite fairy-tale feel to it... but for those like me who love fairy tales, that actually makes it more appealing.Dafydd ab Hugh
ncc1205
Alexandre Dumas made a reputation for himself writing stories chiefly about the uncommon man who had to rise to the occasion in extraordinary circumstances. Arguably, THE THREE MUSKETEERS and THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO stand as some of the best literature of the ages, and the film adaptations have created some of the most incredibly swordplay put to the silver screen.The little heard of and rarely seen ON GUARD ("Le Bossu," 1997, from the French novel by Paul Feval of the same name), by far, features some of the most exciting swordplay with a story that compares to Dumas' best work in many ways.Daniel Auteuil stars as Lagardere, a budding swordsman who can't back down from a fight. One evening, upon trying to best the Duke of Nevers, he inadvertently falls into the duke's good graces and joins him -- as a sidekick -- on a journey to rescue the man's infant daughter, Aurore. However, as the duke is soon murdered by his villainous cousin Count Gonzague (played with ample creepiness by Fabrice Luchini), Lagardere escapes with the infant and, along with the help of a traveling circus, raises her as his own child for sixteen years ... until Aurore takes up the sword and performs a move only her real father could've known, alerting the now-in-power Gonzague to the fact the the daughter has survived. Now, Legardere is faced with the ultimate challenge of devising a masterful plot to put the woman back on the throne and into her position of prominence!Much of the film is pure plotting and humor, some of which can only be the product of the French ("Ever try sodomy, my friend?"), and I'm quite certain several of the jokes might be lost on an American audience. Still, Auteuil as Lagardere is the film's masterful stroke; he proves himself capable of a Musketeer-like defender, a loving father, and a pining lost soulmate to the lovely Aurore, all the while maintaining his sense of duty coupled with a great sense of humor.The film is presented widescreen, filmed on beautiful locations, and the sound is very crisp and vibrant. ON GUARD is a wonderful adaptation that deserves to be discovered by a much larger audience.
lilypumpernickel
This was buried away on channel 4 at 2.00 a.m. one morning and I taped it out of passing interest, only to be mesmerised when I watched it a few days later. So much so that I had to watch it all the way through without even a break for a cup of tea. It's easy to say, in hindsight, that the storyline is predictable, but I didn't find that at the time and, believe me, you can't see the twists coming when you watch it. In fact the film builds great moments of tension.The sword fight scenes, which I would normally fast forward, were really intense and believable. This is good old fashioned story telling with glorious scenery and the requisite number of nail biting moments.
AD
