The Count of Monte Cristo

From director Kevin Reynolds comes the most modern film take on the classic tale, "The Count of Monte Cristo." The film follows Edmond Dantes (Jim Caviezel) as he is betrayed by his friends to the new French Regime to be a Bonapartist agent. He is thrown in jail and after years of isolation comes into contact with another prisoner, who, upon his death, gives him a map with the location of a legendary treasure. With this treasure, he takes Europe's elite social circles by storm as he perfectly plots his reunion with his fiancee and revenge upon his treacherous former comrades.

This adaptation strays pretty far from Dumas's 1844 novel by cutting out huge subplots, and radically changes the dynamic of the characters' interactions. This however, is a strength and not a weakness. The plot is condensed into a much more linear adventure story, and makes for an enjoyable film.

The sets are beautiful as well. Given that the story takes place in a particularly ostentatious period of France's history, the grandiose architecture and costumes of the film are superb and appropriate. Nearly every set adds to the tone of the scene that it houses, such as the moonlit docks where Danglars attempts to steal the Count's shipments, or the dark, dank prison where Dantes spends 13 tortured years. Marseille is bustling during the day and mysterious at night.

The film's greatest strength is the interaction between its characters. Dantes and Mondego (Guy Pearce) are perfect friends turned bitter enemies, and every scene they share boils with tension. Caviezel, in particular, does an excellent job of portraying a young man who learns the world's cruelties the hard way. His experience of jailing and torture still shows in his expressions once he escapes and reintegrates himself into society.

The film suffers only from some minor pacing issues. Much of the movie surrounds Dantes's young life and imprisonment, making his revenge and the film's climax seem a little sudden and rushed. The filmmakers would have done better if they had spread the movie more evenly. Other than these minor issues, however, the film is exciting and tense, and emotionally satisfying. Count on this movie if you're in the mood for adventure.