Hey folks, Harry here. You know... Sometimes magazines like ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY just confound me. Recently in their summer movie preview they give Luc Besson's THE MESSENGER like a 3 on the ol buzz-meter. And SCREAM 3 is an 8. WHAT?!?!?!?!? This just angers me. How can any true cinephile be more buzzed about SCREAM 3 than a balls to the wall LUC BESSON.... JOAN OF ARC movie. I'm sorry, I've been jonesed to see this movie for a VERY long time now. Now sure... I understand... Besson hasn't been very open with the press about the film, but you know what? That's what gets me buzzed. When I try as hard as I can to find out about a project and get VERY LITTLE INFORMATION and it's from one of the coolest filmmakers in the biz.... I GET EXCITED! It's a present. One of those stocking stuffers. And folks... after this review of this very early test screening... I'm excited even more so... And when you hear what Luc Besson said at the end of this review... tell me sparks didn't connect down your spine.
Harry,
Long time listener, first time caller. You are neato. Enough with the pleasantries:
Earlier this week I was able to catch a screening of The Messenger (Luc Besson's newest).
General reaction: A beautiful, beautiful movie. Milla Jovovich proves that she's truly one of the more underrated talents out there (she's a super-talented actress, a gorgeous, mega-successful model, and has even cut a fairly successful album--what other 'Hollow-wood' talent can compete with this?). For the uninitiated, the movie is a realistic (for the most part) story of Joan of Arc, the teenage peasant girl who commanded an army of French soldiers for the will of God.
The movie, aside from some strong acting performances by Milla and others (John Malkovich, Faye Dunaway, and Dustin Hoffman, as well as some excellent French actors I'm not familiar with), is brutally realistic. (I lost count at how many heads, arms, or legs were chopped off in the battle scenes.) Some stunning countryside landscapes and feels-so-real-you-can-smell-it battlegrounds add to the richness of the tapestry that our main man Besson has created.
While some may be dismayed at Besson's choice to do a historical biography instead of a sleek, contemporary project, I certainly wasn't let down. I would consider myself a definite fan of his work (The Big Blue struck a nerve with me) and was impressed by his decision to make this movie.
Some definite issues are explored in the movie that may seem unconventional to those familiar with the Joan of Arc story, as indicated by the title of the film. Some people may have a view of Joan of Arc as strictly a courageous warrior who battled the English. Besson has chosen to depict her primarily (as the title states) as a messenger of God's will (brought forth in some surreal scenes in the movie). Eventually, Joan comes to question everything she stands for, and the audience feels her confusion strongly (this is a good thing) as she struggles with her entire foundation. Big, good stuff here.
Some negative reactions:
This movie could be perceived as too much in the same vein as Braveheart (unknown upstart leads underdog army against the English, is captured and killed). I think it deals with many different issues not even touched in Braveheart, and think the comparison between the two is primarily surface-based. Still, this could be a complaint that people might have after leaving the theater who were looking for a story about a nice, sweet little girl. As with any movie (or anything else in life), go into it with an open mind and fully consume it before you react.
Also, this is only the second time I've felt this before, but I didn't care for John Malkovich's performance (lest we forget Making Mr. Right some years ago). This is a rare occurrence, but his performance seems a bit strained and (dare I say it?) I think he was miscast. He's not horrible, mind you, but he just doesn't seem to fit into the shoes as the King of France.
The movie isn't short. I think it's about 2 and a half hours, but it might be cut down a bit shorter (since this was a test screening). I wish people wouldn't focus on the length of movies as much--time is irrelevant if the film is good. And this is.
The ending may not be very palatable for a mass audience. Yes, Joan dies. This is no secret. She is a teenage girl who struggles with a sudden onslaught of emotions. It's not action packed cinema, but it's damn powerful. The ending of this movie is true and it's great. After the movie, my girlfriend commented to Luc Besson outside the theater "Don't let them change the ending." And, after a second or two, he leaned forward and said in a very matter-of-fact way, "God wrote it. It can't be changed." Let us hope that God's will is greater than that of the 40-something mini-van/SUV suburbanite test audience that filled the theater.
Final Word: There's more to say about the movie(mostly good stuff), but I'll leave it at that for now. It's definitely worth my $7.50.
Call me,
John Smallberries
