Adeel Hail
Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.
ArrowverseDCEUGothamJoker
A Knight's Tale is a really nice movie. This is typically the kind of movie that plays the card of pure entertainment, and that does it very well. The casting is a big asset of the film. Congratulations to all, because the actors do not evolve in a Middle Age purely serious, but so far they do not camp it up to excess, they do not make tons, and we can finally believe in their characters. They are all very digestible, even those who have the most delicate roles (Paul Bettany, Alan Tudyk for example), and those who are more current (as Laura Fraser, blacksmith woman, with a small social message, but it pass very well). The actors are totally in the relaxation, lightness, Ledger and Sewell form a super confrontation, and the supporting roles work brilliantly, in short, we spend a very good time with these actors. The strength of the film is also to be at the same time very second degree, using for example a 1970's soundtrack (very good), and contemporary references, while having made a real documentary work on the period (one feels it for example the absence of benches in the church). The film reminds me a bit of Coppola's Marie-Antoinette, with this mix between a true documentary precision and a distance always tasteful with the time. The mixture often insupposes me by the shapeless dish that results, but here it is brilliant. The story is entertaining, moral, full of romance. I will regret a little hasty appearance of certain events, and not very credible things in the management of time and space. But hey, if you do not look too much on the chain of events, it's a minor concern. Visually it's solid. Beautiful scenes of jousting (it's rare to see that in a film), a neat reconstruction, beautiful scenery, costumes for some audacious, and a staging at the height, A Knight's Tale is an elegant film, with a good budget and who know to exploit it to be an aesthetic film and very appreciable. As I said before, musically the use of songs of the 1970's is particularly very good. Frankly, A Knight's Tale is a very entertaining all-public movie, and a must-have for anyone who loves the Middle Ages. Very second degree, light, it's romantic, dynamic, fun, in short, it's 2 hours and some fun.9/10
kz917-1
A Knight's Tale features Heath Ledger as a young man trying to change his stars. When the knight he is a squire for literally drops dead, he stands in for him at a tournament. The ball only rolls faster from there. Heath and his merry men become famous at excelling at tournaments, hopefully they won't be infamous!Laughter, great music and much fun all contained in this movie!
Tweekums
In fourteenth century Europe having the right ancestry means everything and William Thatcher does not have it. He is the peasant squire to a knight but when his master dies he sees an opportunity. He takes his place in a joust and with the prize money sets about passing as a nobleman. With his friends Roland and Wat he trains then sets off to the next tournament. Along the way they meet the writer Geoffrey Chaucer who helps them by creating a false lineage for a nobleman from an obscure place. William performs well and catches the eye of Jocelyn, a noblewoman, he isn't the only one interested in her though; the brutish Count Adhemar sees her as a prize. Soon Adhemar is sent away to war and William continues to win tournaments; the two things he really wants though are Jocelyn's love and to put Adhemar on his back. When he returns to his home city of London for the World Championships he may get his chance; as well as seeing his father for the first time in years… of course if the truth about who he really is were to emerge it would all be over.Anybody expecting gritty realism will be in for a bit of a disappointment; the opening in joust makes it quite clear that this will be a romp… the audience cheer on their champions to the accompany of Queen's 'We Will Rock You'; clapping along with the tune! The story might not be too original; there are plenty of films about an underdog working their way up from the bottom to get to the top and get the girl… setting the story in the world of medieval jousting is rather different though. The competitions are exciting enough even though there is no real doubt how they will end. There are plenty of laughs to be had along the way; mostly provided by Roland, Wat and Chaucer… when we first meet Chaucer he is walking along stark naked as though this is perfectly normal. The cast performed well with Heath Ledger putting in a solid performance as William and Rufus Sewell being suitably dastardly as Adhemar. Paul Bettany is on great form as Chaucer stealing almost every scene he is in. There are also impressive performances from Mark Addy, as Roland; Alan Tudyk, as Wat; Laura Fraser as Kate the Blacksmith; Shannyn Sossamon as Jocelyn and James Purefoy as the Black Prince. Overall I found this to be rather enjoyably; yes it is silly and anachronistic but that is intentional and part of what makes it enjoyable.
