Robin Hood: A Review

I saw Ridley Scott's Robin Hood. I liked it fine. Here is why. It's directed by Scott who also directed the superb Gladiator, it features some heavy talent like Russell Crowe (Robin Longstride), Cate Blanchett (Marion Loxley), the uber-talented Eileen Atkins (Eleanor of Aquitaine, excellent choice, this!), Danny Huston (King Richard, the Lionheart), and most importantly it takes place in the time frame in which I am trained professionally, i.e., the twelfth century.

As a medievalist I found myself reacting to some of the R. Scott's interpretations which I found to be more of an instance of poetic license than history but, in general, the 'spirit' of the story seemed cohesive and complete. One of the things I enjoyed the most was the first 20 minutes where Richard, the Lionheart is in the battlefield while on the crusade. One of the things I thought would have added much to the plot was the inclusion of the especially close and personal relationship between Richard the Lionheart and France's King Philip Augustus. The plot in the film would have thickened ever so nicely if Ridley Scott had made some mention of this historical fact. But be it as it may, few directors can capture the pace of the battlefield and the heavy psychology of the hero the way Ridley Scott can. Crowe was a believable Robin, Blanchett portrayed a cool, collected Marion, and I don't think Eleanor of Aquitaine would have objected much to Atkins' depiction of hers. I recommend this film more for cinematic reasons than strictly academic ones.
Here's the official review of the film:

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American Gangster

Ridley Scott's new film, American Gangster, like most of his cinematic projects, delivers. In typical fashion, he manages to recreate for the silver screen a believable New York City. That, coupled with superb performances by Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, is a good recipy for 2 hours and 40 minutes of sheer filmic enjoyment.

Those who enjoyed the colossal efforts of the Ridley Scott team in "Gladiator," are bound to react positively to a near pitch-perfect Crowe and Washington in "American Gangster."


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3:10 to Yuma

"3:10 to Yuma" captures all that is unique about the Western genre. The pace is well maintained by all invoved, the soundtrack does justice to the plot and the faces of the charaters add to the overall poeticism of the film. And Russell Crowe and Christian Bale share unique screen chemistry.
I give it a big right thumb up!



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