Screen Scene
By Daily Bruin Staff
Jan. 24, 2002 9:00 p.m.
 Courtesy of Spyglass Entertainment Dantes (James
Caviezel) returns to the Chateau D’If where he was
imprisoned.
“The Count of Monte Cristo”
Starring: James Caviezel, Guy Pearce, Dagmara Dominiczyk, James
Frain and Richard Harris
Directed by: Kevin Reynolds
Moviegoers who love action and adventure and those who prefer
emotionally charged dramas will be able to find a common ground
this weekend with today’s opening of “The Count of
Monte Cristo.” The Kevin Reynolds-directed film is
reminiscent of classic swashbuckling epics. It harmoniously blends
a variety of elements ““ action, intrigue, romance and drama
to create an altogether great movie.”The Count of Monte
Cristo” certainly deviates from today’s big budget
flicks. Many action films are saturated with violence and fail to
take the emotional responses of their characters into account. This
film stands apart because it provides both the action that modern
audiences crave, as well as extensive character development, making
it as compelling as it is entertaining. The latest adaptation of
the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas takes place in France during
the post-Napoleonic era and showcases talented Hollywood newcomers.
James Caviezel plays Edmond Dantes, a young man whose best friend
Fernand, played by Guy Pearce, conspires to have him arrested so he
can pursue his fiancée. Edmond, filled with the desire for
revenge, re-enters society as the wealthy and mysterious Count of
Monte Cristo in order to take vengeance on those who caused him
years of suffering. With breathtaking cinematography and superb
performances, the two hours and 14 minutes fly right by. The
filmmakers chose to eliminate a lot of characters from the novel in
order to concentrate on developing the main ones and to ease the
flow of the film. By having Edmond in every scene, the film makes
the audience feel as if they have shared in his journey and care
about his character. “The Count of Monte Cristo” will
undeniably appeal to many, not only because of its intensity, but
also because of its great heart.
Emily Camastra  Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Shane West and Mandy Moore cuddle
up in "A Walk to Remember."
“A Walk to Remember” Starring: Mandy Moore
and Shane West Directed by: Adam Shankman
The best movie of the year … so far? Seeped in cheesy
clichés and novice filmmaking, “A Walk to
Remember” will probably not be remembered once the year 2002
starts rolling movies into theaters. A teenage version of last
year’s “Sweet November” (with identical posters
even) and a myriad of other love stories, “A Walk to
Remember” is only creative in that it starts as a teenage
flick and turns into a story of lost love. Simply put, it’s a
story about a popular boy, Landon, who falls in love with Jamie,
the reverend’s virtuous daughter. Director Adam Shankman may
be best known for “Wedding Planner,” his signature
piece of predictability. The storyline in “A Walk to
Remember” again is too predictable, droning through the boy
meets girl, boy falls in love with girl theme until a
“surprise” is inserted to prolong the movie for another
30 minutes. Originally a choreographer, Shankman’s amateur
directing is evident in awkward scenes that are not quite
explained. Mandy Moore, a pop star in her third feature film
appearance, may show some promise as an actress to fans. However,
her acting in “The Princess Diaries” as a nasty
cheerleader outshines her role here as an angelic teenager. In her
beginning scenes with Shane West, she appears to be seducing him
with her looks and eyebrow raisers while the audience is told
through the other actors how holy she is. There are spurts of
genuine feeling, in comparison to mostly contrived emotions through
much of the film. On a positive note, some important issues are
raised, especially through the use of religion. When Jamie’s
father accuses her of acting sinfully, she simply replies
“I’m in love.” Other themes dealt with include
peer pressure, friendships, living life to the fullest, miracles,
and inspirational people and family. The story seems appropriate
only as a novel for teenage girls looking for Prince Charming. One
paw for dealing with a religious theme otherwise avoided in
Hollywood while raising some important issues, and another paw for
effort on Mandy Moore’s part.
Taylor Kim
