VividSimon Simply Perfect

Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

justin-fencsak When Luc Besson took on the legendary life of Joan of Arc, he did so with a big budget and a cast of thousands. The movie, unlike his previous movie, failed to light up American audiences while French audiences loved it. It didn't make a lot of money like Fifth Element did or even Lucy later on, yet it's an underrated movie about a famous woman who became a role model for generations of French women. The soundtrack is good, and the shots are amazing. Unlike his previous movie, this one is rated R, just like The Professional, yet it deals with religious themes.

Randomizer2600 This is not a movie I would have chosen, but Director Luc Besson has "Valerian" coming out soon, and this movie was mentioned in a review. There are reviews written by people with far greater knowledge. I have a casual understanding of the story of Joan of Arc, and know less about the events of the time. As a movie, I enjoyed this immensely. This movie gets the people right.Milla Javovich hits it perfectly. She is vulnerable while unstoppable. She is full of doubt, but completely certain. And during the trial, she can do "caged animal" with just her eyes. I can't imagine anyone else pulling this off. Milla does unapologetically devote better than anyone since Audrey Hepburn in "The Nun's Story".The supporting cast did a stellar job. There are a lot of medieval movies and TV shows, and most of them aren't believable because people aren't stern or earnest all the time. "Game of Thrones" is fun to watch because sometimes people laugh, and sometimes they fight. If you ever saw a medieval movie, and wondered what the guard standing next to the door does when the camera and the king aren't there, this movie has it. Some reviews called that filler, but it was fun and humanized the soldiers.I gave it a 10 because it showed people in a way different than other medieval movies. Again, I don't know if the historical facts are correct, but I would not be surprised if the people acted just like they are portrayed.

KingBrian1 This movie is a descent historical interpretation of the events of the French wars with England as seen through the prism of the deeply devout Joan of Arc. With all its movie sensationalism I wish to believe that at the heart of the film is the view that a patriotic young girl fought to save her country from rape and ravine at the hands of invaders. This might seem to most naïve as the French were just as violent as the English and the notion that Joan was incapable of cruelty is hard for many to see.Towards the end we see her conscience reminding us that she was capable of self criticism and felt sorrow for her actions. Whether the true Joan felt like this, a moral individual is hard to tell with definitive proof but the one thing that this movie does demonstrate is how all of the characters were bound by their religion including the Dauphin, the ecclesiastical court and the Knights. All used religion for political gain while Joan was certainly motivated by the love of her fellow Frenchmen and Frenchwomen.

raseckatz ...if I were to ask my confidants and closest friends and people who know me casually their impressions of how they perceive me, I am sure their versions would be so different that I probably would both hate me and love me and, perhaps, not even recognize myself...and so it is with the telling of Jeanne D'Arc...That she was an influential and controversial historical figure is the commonality that runs throughout the varied versions of her life (if this were not so why would the Roman Church wait 500 years after her execution to "canonize" her, then?), just as my existence is agreed upon and acknowledged by all the people who have met me.I find that Mr. Besson, as a cinematic director and artist, has the right and privileged vision to his interpretation of such a legendary persona. Based on the available factual circumstances of the Maid of Orleans and the different opinions of those who "knew" the "demented visionary, egocentric, stubborn, lesbian, heretical and saintly heroine-witch", Ms. Milla Jovovich did a splendid interpretation of such a complex individual who, after all, was also a human being living under a much different socio/political and religious environment that we are lucky to have not experienced.I find that of the many biographical, theatrical and cinematic treatments of Jeanne D'Arc The Messenger this is most enjoyable due to its modern language and casting. Ms.Dunaway, Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Malchovich were a delight to watch.Needless to say, I enjoyed this film because the universal human elements of exuberant youth, fear, doubt, faith and love are explored as well as the ugly realities of revenge, arrogance, hate, prejudice and religious righteousness/betrayal (denial of the Sacrament of Penance?...go figure), ridicule and egocentricity in an unbiased and well defined manner. The Director allowed for final and personal conclusions of the exposed subject matter (are there not Four Canonical Gospels as well as several Gnostic Writings and variations of The One Spiritual Truth?).Although this piece was released in 1999 I never got the opportunity to view it till this evening. This is as contemporary as if it were released recently.