42/43
With a budget estimated at 429 million euros, The Count of Monte Cristo is the most expensive French film of 2024
After escaping from an island prison where he spent 14 years after being wrongly accused of treason, Edmond Dantès returns as the Count of Monte Cristo to take revenge on the men who betrayed him. When Albert watches Heidi sing and play the guitar, it is very obvious that she is not even touching the strings half the time.
Featured in La grande semaine: Episode #113 (2024)
The first question I would like to ask directors who adapt novels to films is: if this book inspired you so much that you wanted to make a film based on it, then why change its story? The Count of Monte Cristo is one of those cases: those who read the book will be amazed by how the ending is completely twisted; and for no apparent reason I would have complied, as the book’s ending was dramatic enough.
Okay, no more running
So, again, if you don’t like it, why make a movie about it? If you want to run your own ideas by all means, go for it, use your imagination and in that case the sky’s the limit.
But then my literary memory kicks in again and I’m left with a bittersweet taste in my mouth
If I were to turn off my literary memory and judge the film on its pure cinematic merits, The Count of Monte Cristo is an honest cloak and dagger film, with good performances by all the key actors, good cinematography and decent pacing.
