The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo is a faithful retelling of the swashbuckling novel by Alexandre Dumas. Best known for his superb performance in The Thin Red Line, Jim Caviezel plays Edmond Dantes, an affable young man who falls for the beautiful Mercandeacute;dandegrave;s (Dagmara Dominczyk). Unfortunately, his happiness irritates Fernand de Mondego (Guy Pearce), who sets Dantes up as a traitor. Condemned to spend the rest of his days in prison, Dantes survives only thanks to his unquenchable thirst for revenge. Unlike so many other action/adventure movies, Reynolds doesn't drench the proceedings with digitally rendered effects, apparently of the opinion that the premise is enough to draw viewers in. And for the most part, this faith is justified, as the Count of Monte Cristo whistles along at a fine pace, with well-formed characters and an involving storyline. The performances are good if a little unspectacular - with the honourable exception of Guy Pearce, who is having a whale of a time as the despicable Mondego. Admittedly, it doesn't pack the same visceral punch as say, Gladiator, but The Count of Monte Cristo is an enjoyable farce in its own right.