Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

ChanBot i must have seen a different film!!

Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Ronald I personally think that the director perfectly captured the psychological struggle traumatized children who lost their parents at an early age endure. A struggle which is essentially one of the main themes of this movie, next to the betrayal-theme. While I agree with most of the reviews already expressed here, I would like to suggest a different approach to the already heavily discussed relationship between Aurora and her ward, Lagardère. From a psychoanalytical point of view, this relationship, and especially the strange twist at the finale of the movie, can be perfectly explained. Aurora was traumatized from a very early age when she lost her father and mother in a stressful battle. During the following years, she believed Lagardère was her father. When this turned out to be untrue, she fears to lose the connection with her father figure once again. Triggered by this primordial fear, Aurora's subconsciousness quickly directs her towards the only mature fatherly like persona she knows, Lagardère. But in a different kind of relationship where he can still exercise the role of protector and caretaker, i.e. as a lover.

Dunroman Apart from the swashbuckling and the distracting beauty of Marie Gillain, this film has two particular merits.1. Daniel Auteuil - who demonstrates a noble character who plays so well the part of the hunchback, and in such contrast to his portrayal of tragic Ugolin in Jean de Florette / Manon des Sources.2. Fabrice Luchini - who must truly rank among the finest villains ever portrayed on screen and whose final comeuppance is difficult to see without a cry of "YES!".I would hazzard that this is watchable even if one does not understand French. The action and characterisation carry it along so well.As an introduction to the sheer quality of French cinema, this is a very good place to start.

bob-1075 If you want to escape from the world Le Bossu is a brilliant holiday.The subtitles are badly done as usual - give us Literal Translations please - we are not idiots!The story is a great romping swashbuckler that would make Errol Flynn proud. Perez and Autiel are especially good but the man that steals it is Fabrice Lucini - his voice would give anyone a lesson in French and he is very funny and diabolical - he should be a massive star.This film rollocks along and just shows you don't need complex plots to have a great movie - once again Hollywood scriptwriters - read it and weep... The French and the British are the only ones that can truly do justice to this sort of film.

George Parker "On Guard", a subtitled French film, is all about Auteuil as an 18th century swordsman, mercenary, and bon vivant who finds himself the victim of treachery and the lone custodian of an infant who is the sole heir to a noble rank and great fortune. His task is to honor an oath and restore his charge to her rightful place in the face of countless bad guys with blades and his adopted daughter's growing ardor as she comes of age. Packed with evil men and beautiful women and wonderful locations and lots of swishing and clinking steel, "On Guard" should be a fun watch for anyone into swashbuckling adventure flicks who can contend with 2+ hours of subtitles. (B)