Bovie Movie

History’s legendary lover finally meets his romantic match in this attractive period comedy from Chocolat director Lasse Hallström. Set in 18th-century Venice, it gives a contemporary sheen to the myth of serial bed-hopper Giacomo Casanova, who as portrayed by Heath Ledger uses sex as a diversion while hunting the woman of his dreams. Predictably, she turns out to be the only female ever to refuse his advances — an idealistic, proto-feminist (Sienna Miller) who writes “heretical” tracts under a male pseudonym. What follows is a patchy mix of slapstick, swashbuckling and Carry On-style antics, as Casanova tries to escape the forces of the Inquisition long enough to demonstrate his more sensitive side. Though Miller shines as the object of Casanova’s desire, Ledger mistakenly underplays, never quite capturing his character’s raffish charm. It’s a wasted opportunity to allow him to be eclipsed by the supporting cast, whose shameful overacting transforms an initially cheeky romp into a clunky farce. 

Gladiator director Ridley Scott once again finds inspiration in the past with this exciting mix of action, adventure and history lesson. Orlando Bloom stars as 12th-century French blacksmith Balian, who loses his family and is invited to the Holy Land by a Crusader father (Liam Neeson) previously unknown to him. The uneasy peace in Jerusalem between the Christians, under King Baldwin IV (Edward Norton), and the neighbouring Muslim forces of Saladin (a wonderful Ghassan Massoud) is threatened by fanatics, prompting Balian to defend the city against overwhelming odds. A story of western forces in the Middle East has obvious contemporary resonance, but Scott steps skilfully through the minefield, stressing the desirability of co-existence and tolerance and the dangers of fundamentalism. While Bloom is rather unconvincing as a leader of men, the siege is breathtaking, the characters colourful, and there’s even some intelligent dialogue. 

It was a thankless task, putting Vladimir Nabokov’s notorious 1955 novel on the screen. But after Stanley Kubrick’s valiant, inventive and funny attempt in 1961 (which Nabokov himself scripted), why try again? To be fair, this 1997 version isn’t as sacrilegious as it might have been, with the flashy, superficial Adrian Lyne (Fatal Attraction, Indecent Proposal) at the helm. However, it is Lyne’s bid for artistic “respectability” (the artful shots, the fidelity to the book) that is also the film’s undoing. It looks good, but lacks danger. Despite a compelling, tortured turn from Jeremy Irons as Humbert — and a seductive one from Dominique Swain as Lolita — it’s all a little too cosmetic and soft-focused. Although some might say that makes it even more insidiously controversial. 

Little Gordon and his sister Nellie spend their holidays at Faeryoak Farm. Not far away from the farm there is a forest where the kids enjoy walking and playing games. One fine day they make the acquaintance of an enigmatic raven and later find themselves being miraculously transported to Faeryland where they make friends with The Faery Prince (Dougray Scott). To return home, they must help him to defeat the cunning and perfidious Shapeshifter (Jeremy Irons), the Prince’s exiled brother who is anxious to take power over the world of faeries.

Joining the rapidly swelling ranks of British actors portraying baddies in 1990s Hollywood movies, Jeremy Irons plays a mad bomber with a score to settle in this third instalment of the Die Hard series. He keeps Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson on their toes with a set of “Simple Simon” tasks that give a high-speed 20th-century labours-of-Hercules twist to the plot. Whether solving riddles and mathematical puzzles or hurtling along crowded pavements in a taxi cab, Jackson and Willis make a testy duo, trading quips and insults at a pace that matches the breathless and sometimes over-the-top action. Returning to the fray after missing the first sequel, John McTiernan directs with a gleeful disregard for narrative logic, especially in the closing stages. It’s cracking entertainment, though. 

Set in a world of dragons and sorcery, Eragon fails to conjure the magic of Christopher Paolini’s bestselling book. Newcomer Ed Speleers stars (with some initial uncertainty) as the farm boy of the title who becomes a “dragon rider”, threatening the tyrannical rule of King Galbatorix (a gnashing John Malkovich). Jeremy Irons employs a dry sense of humour as Eragon’s mentor Brom, which helps to alleviate some of the tedium as the youngster struggles to decide what his true mission is. Rachel Weisz voices Saphira, the winged beast that carries Eragon into battle, although getting there proves to be a dizzying ride. First-time director Stefen Fangmeier provides occasional distraction from the dithering script with adrenaline-fuelled flying scenes. But sadly the CGI effects aren’t good enough to make Saphira an emotionally engaging character, so the relationship between her and Eragon fails to spark. 

Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, but accorded a mixed critical reception, this is a studied, elegant and, ultimately, very moving historical drama set in 18th-century South America. There’s no denying the longueurs in Robert Bolt’s script, a certain flabbiness in Roland Joffé’s direction and a distinctly detached performance from a curiously cast Robert De Niro. However, Jeremy Irons more than makes amends with a performance of great sincerity as the head of a Jesuit mission under threat from the greed of Iberian slavers and the whim of Ray McAnally’s cardinal. Chris Menges’s Oscar-winning photography is glorious and Ennio Morricone’s haunting score sends shivers down the spine. 

Originally due for an earlier US release, this thoughtful revenge thriller had to give way to post-11 September sensitivity. On a holiday flight to India, the family of magazine editor Jeremy Irons are involved in a hijack and killed. When the hijackers are released on a technicality, Irons turns into a gun-wielding Charles Bronson clone and starts to hunt them down, bringing him to the attention of US agent, Forest Whitaker. Despite moderate tension and an interesting cast — Charlotte Rampling, ex-Miss Moneypenny Lois Maxwell — director John Irvin (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) stretches credibility to breaking point and the increasingly unbelievable action tends to devalue the relative moral complexities raised.