thoraj OK performances but I have to say overall disappointing and utter crap. I usually adore Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close and their performances were quite good, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers was outstanding (didn't have enough screen time). The rest of the cast was nothing special. Maybe they were meant to be mediocre characters and in that case they did well.Yuliya Vysotskaya in her role as Alais was sensational and I hope to see her in future roles but this movie is just not worth the time it takes to see it. I didn't have any expectations when I rented it and it left me feeling unfulfilled. Have seen worse movies but it's in that category.

ma-cortes This splendid picture is set in Christmas 1183 , the medieval monarch Henry II (Patrick Stewart who also played Henry's son, Richard the Lionheart , in Robin Hood : Men in thighs , 1993) finds surrounded by astute and ambitious relatives who want to regain politic and egoistic rewards . The king pretends announce his heir and he invites his estranged wife Eleanor of Aquitaine (Glenn Close) imprisoned by conspiracy , there also comes the mean King Philip II of France (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) . Both of whom confront wits over the succession to the English throne and much else . The heir election between the three sons , the valiant Richard (Howard) , the opportunist Geoffrey (Light) and the the vain , useless John (Spall) to be originated intrigues , blackmails and hates . The grown brothers are fraught with tension , rapidly changing alliances and completed with a cutting edge psychological manipulation . In spite of possession a kingdom spread all Great Britain and halve France , there's one thing which Henry II never could to control : his own family .The film is inspired by true events , thus occurred certainly the sons' rebellion incited by Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine for the marriage to King Henry II inherited the occidental France ; however , the coup failed and Henry ordered her entry into a convent but she was freed when died Henry and then Richard Lionheart was crowned until the third crusade (intervening along with Philip II and Richard conquered Acre) when was crowned John with no Land . This English domain over France will cause an overlong conflict known as ¨Hundred Years War¨ (1339-1453) . Besides , there appears famous knight William Marshall (Clive Wood) and is mentioned the enemy archbishop Thomas Becket whom ordered to kill (played in previous film by Richard Burton and again Henry II performed by Peter O'Toole) . Besides , Philip Augustus II Capeto (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) who truly combated Henry II and his sons Richard and John whom defeated in Bouvines(1214) battle .This television movie is an excellent costumer drama with superb dialog and magnificently characterized medieval roles . Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close make triumphant characterizations . This is a brilliantly script-written picture , being rendered from his own play by James Goldman . The atmospheric and spectacular musical score being magnificently composed by Richard Hartley . Sensational production design by Roger Hall . The film was well directed by Andrei Konchalovsky (Siberiada). The flick will appeal to medieval drama buffs and historical cinema enthusiasts .

donta49001 First of all, please don't be turned away by the title of my review, as this was an amazing remake of "The Lion in Winter". For some reason I wasn't even going to comment on the film, which is weird for me and my big mouth, but I had to reply to the first review that I read from "Tom Mack"....who said that in comparison to Katharine Hepburn, Glenn Close is an actor and Hepburn is a "movie star"?? Are you kidding me??? Don't get me wrong, Glenn Close is an amazing performer and her performance in this remake only reiterated that fact. Her emotional depth is always on point and I have never been disappointed in her talent and performance even if the film wasn't that great.But to compare her to Katarine Hepburn is asinine. A "movie star"?? Maybe you didn't see the original "The Lion in Winter", for which she won the Oscar for, or "Long Day's Journey Into Night" or "Suddenly Last Summer" or "On Golden Pond" for that matter... This is the same actor who NEVER attended a single Academy Award ceremony, just to avoid the "movie star" crap. The same award for which she was only nominated for lead acting roles, has won the most awards in history, and had the most nominations until recently. Please please please give her the credit and respect that she deserves. Glenn Close even stated that she was terrified to play the role because she had to follow-up Katharine's unbelievable performance and has stated on many occasions that Hepburn was/is her biggest inspiration for getting into the industry.At any rate, the remake was wonderfully made, performances were amazing, especially Glenn Close's. She continues to amaze me....but as for comparisons to Katharine, please don't do that. I mean my gosh, it's Katharine Hepburn for goodness sake... Thanx for reading :o)

ichbing ...not quite as good as the original with Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn. The acting isn't quite up to par for the majority of the cast. The emotional side of the characters did not come through in the performances, even during dialog that one would normally expect to see some sort of outburst. Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close play their parts excellently, as usual. However, their timing and delivery pale in comparison to that of Peter and Kate. Throw in a supporting cast that includes Anthony Hopkins(Richard) and Timothy Dalton(Phillip) and you can see why this film earned Kate an Oscar. All in all a good effort, but I'll stick with the original recipe.