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So what happens when "the Matrix" steamrollers into "Hound of the Baskervilles" at a hundred miles an hour and then gets slammed into by a kung-fu film at the same time?
An almighty mess? Not quite.. You get an oddly American French film. Argh!! Don't run away! I know I said French but this film could just have easily been an American action film. There's none of that arty-farty nonsense you might associate with French cinema. No jump-cuttery ŕ la Godard and no lens filters/strange plots/men in berets saying "oh la lalalala". Nope the only clue that the film is French is the realisation that you are reading the subtitles... but you soon forget that too, and anyone who's done French up to A-level standard shouldn't have too much difficulty understanding the language.
In a just world this film would be every bit as successful as "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon": the film that proved that any film could overcome the language barrier to box-office success simply by containing a hell of a lot of fighting. And believe me, the fight scenes in this film are worth the entrance fee. They fail to reach the giddy heights of "Crouching Tiger" standards, but this is deflected slightly by the sumptuous shooting of every scene. Indeed it seems that excellent camerawork has become a pre-requisite of French cinema. As a reviewer on imdb points out the film contains an exceptionally good crossfade (Having watched "Ghost Dog: way of the samurai" I lost almost all faith in crossfading) and dare I say it, this is the best crossfade in cinematic history. As our hero paints Monica Bellucci and the camera pans over her naked breasts, it crossfades to two mountain peaks exactly the same shape as Miss Bellucci's own contours. Genius.
Now Monica Bellucci is a big-name actress and she is relegated to what is essentially a minor-ish character. That's because the film does contain some stellar talent, but not in the American box office sense. Best of all you can see Vincent Cassel playing the villain of the piece. It's a marked departure from his usual disillusioned skin-head role, and while he may still be rough and tough, the gruffness has transcended into a far more noble accent. In fact I was only able to spot him because of his visibly broken nose. He's ably supported by a cast of attractive young French nymphettes and some odious noblemen and martial arts pro's Marc Dacosas and Samuel le Bihan.
Now you may have noticed that I haven't gone into the plot at all yet... well, this is because the film's plot is at best passable and at worst farcical. I'm not talking about an "Exit Wounds" style plot where a script has been written around however many fight scenes, but it's hardly going to win the most complex plotting award 2002. Having said this, others have found the plot complex, the main problem for me was that I had read "The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Arthur Conan Doyle and so I was all too prepared for the various twists and turns, unfortunately. However, Sherlock Holmes would never have exposed the villain while locked in an epic battle involving swords, special telescopic extendable swords and jumping off walls. And that is why this film rocks; it has great fight scenes and a plot that ties them together satisfactorily.
For those who aren't familiar with the story, I'll give you a brief précis..
The film is set in 18th Century France, where a beast is out stalking and murdering women. Sent into the breach is naturalist and philosopher Gregoire de Fronsac and his native american allie Mani. In their attempts to reach the bottom of the mysterious killings they uncover a secret cabal and Fronsac falls for the daughter of an aristocrat. This sets up the basic box-office hit recipe: take a pinch of mystery, add a smattering of love interest, cook for two and a half hours and then add as many fight scenes as possible to taste.
This formula may be simplistic but you shouldn't ignore the addition of wonderful camerawork that sets this film apart from every other fight-scene film I have seen, with the exception of "the Matrix". The fights are shot exquisitely using slow motion, lingering stills and the occasional moment of calm where director Christophe Gans hesitates on a particularly sumptuous visual. It is beautiful to behold, especially on the big screen. Also of note is the best itself, when we finally set sight upon its CGI-created body it is impressive to say the least, perhaps even frightening. The fact that you are denied a glimpse of the best for so long is a testament to the taught pacing of the film. There isn't ever a dull moment because something is always left hanging, leaving you eager to find out what happens next.
I know I've talked up this film a lot, but I would give on word of warning. It did leave me rather cold. As some of you know I watch a lot of films, often foreign, and for me this film marks French cinema's first tentative steps into the mainstream. SUre films like "Amelie" have achieved success despite, and because of, their French kookiness. However, "Brotherhood of the Wolf" makes no attempt at following French conventions, instead preferring the well-trodden route of the American blockbuster. The film is a great deal better than any blockbuster I've seen, and thus it is with some sadness I concede that this probably won't enjoy the same success, but that's mainly because it doesn't go the full distance and go for an English dubbing. Unfortunately this leaves the film in a somewhat awkward position. In the cinema in which I watched it, the majority were University students studying French, who seemed disappointed. However, I expect you "Matrix" fans will be equally as wary due to the presence of subtitles and French speech.
Ultimately, I'd recommend this to you if you like action films mixed with a blend of fantasy. "Brotherhood of the Wolf" is not a bad film by any stretch of the imagination, and if you liked "the Matrix" you will love it. So why not give subtitles a chance and discover a film rich in fantasy and fighting?
Maintenant ŕ vous!
An almighty mess? Not quite.. You get an oddly American French film. Argh!! Don't run away! I know I said French but this film could just have easily been an American action film. There's none of that arty-farty nonsense you might associate with French cinema. No jump-cuttery ŕ la Godard and no lens filters/strange plots/men in berets saying "oh la lalalala". Nope the only clue that the film is French is the realisation that you are reading the subtitles... but you soon forget that too, and anyone who's done French up to A-level standard shouldn't have too much difficulty understanding the language.
In a just world this film would be every bit as successful as "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon": the film that proved that any film could overcome the language barrier to box-office success simply by containing a hell of a lot of fighting. And believe me, the fight scenes in this film are worth the entrance fee. They fail to reach the giddy heights of "Crouching Tiger" standards, but this is deflected slightly by the sumptuous shooting of every scene. Indeed it seems that excellent camerawork has become a pre-requisite of French cinema. As a reviewer on imdb points out the film contains an exceptionally good crossfade (Having watched "Ghost Dog: way of the samurai" I lost almost all faith in crossfading) and dare I say it, this is the best crossfade in cinematic history. As our hero paints Monica Bellucci and the camera pans over her naked breasts, it crossfades to two mountain peaks exactly the same shape as Miss Bellucci's own contours. Genius.
Now Monica Bellucci is a big-name actress and she is relegated to what is essentially a minor-ish character. That's because the film does contain some stellar talent, but not in the American box office sense. Best of all you can see Vincent Cassel playing the villain of the piece. It's a marked departure from his usual disillusioned skin-head role, and while he may still be rough and tough, the gruffness has transcended into a far more noble accent. In fact I was only able to spot him because of his visibly broken nose. He's ably supported by a cast of attractive young French nymphettes and some odious noblemen and martial arts pro's Marc Dacosas and Samuel le Bihan.
Now you may have noticed that I haven't gone into the plot at all yet... well, this is because the film's plot is at best passable and at worst farcical. I'm not talking about an "Exit Wounds" style plot where a script has been written around however many fight scenes, but it's hardly going to win the most complex plotting award 2002. Having said this, others have found the plot complex, the main problem for me was that I had read "The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Arthur Conan Doyle and so I was all too prepared for the various twists and turns, unfortunately. However, Sherlock Holmes would never have exposed the villain while locked in an epic battle involving swords, special telescopic extendable swords and jumping off walls. And that is why this film rocks; it has great fight scenes and a plot that ties them together satisfactorily.
For those who aren't familiar with the story, I'll give you a brief précis..
The film is set in 18th Century France, where a beast is out stalking and murdering women. Sent into the breach is naturalist and philosopher Gregoire de Fronsac and his native american allie Mani. In their attempts to reach the bottom of the mysterious killings they uncover a secret cabal and Fronsac falls for the daughter of an aristocrat. This sets up the basic box-office hit recipe: take a pinch of mystery, add a smattering of love interest, cook for two and a half hours and then add as many fight scenes as possible to taste.
This formula may be simplistic but you shouldn't ignore the addition of wonderful camerawork that sets this film apart from every other fight-scene film I have seen, with the exception of "the Matrix". The fights are shot exquisitely using slow motion, lingering stills and the occasional moment of calm where director Christophe Gans hesitates on a particularly sumptuous visual. It is beautiful to behold, especially on the big screen. Also of note is the best itself, when we finally set sight upon its CGI-created body it is impressive to say the least, perhaps even frightening. The fact that you are denied a glimpse of the best for so long is a testament to the taught pacing of the film. There isn't ever a dull moment because something is always left hanging, leaving you eager to find out what happens next.
I know I've talked up this film a lot, but I would give on word of warning. It did leave me rather cold. As some of you know I watch a lot of films, often foreign, and for me this film marks French cinema's first tentative steps into the mainstream. SUre films like "Amelie" have achieved success despite, and because of, their French kookiness. However, "Brotherhood of the Wolf" makes no attempt at following French conventions, instead preferring the well-trodden route of the American blockbuster. The film is a great deal better than any blockbuster I've seen, and thus it is with some sadness I concede that this probably won't enjoy the same success, but that's mainly because it doesn't go the full distance and go for an English dubbing. Unfortunately this leaves the film in a somewhat awkward position. In the cinema in which I watched it, the majority were University students studying French, who seemed disappointed. However, I expect you "Matrix" fans will be equally as wary due to the presence of subtitles and French speech.
Ultimately, I'd recommend this to you if you like action films mixed with a blend of fantasy. "Brotherhood of the Wolf" is not a bad film by any stretch of the imagination, and if you liked "the Matrix" you will love it. So why not give subtitles a chance and discover a film rich in fantasy and fighting?
Maintenant ŕ vous!
Page:
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So what happens when "the Matrix" steamrollers into "Hound of the Baskervilles" at a hundred miles an hour and then gets slammed into by a kung-fu film at the same time?
An almighty mess? Not quite.. You get an oddly American French film. Argh!! Don't run away! I know I said French but this film could just have easily been an American action film. There's none of that arty-farty nonsense you might associate with French cinema. No jump-cuttery ŕ la Godard and no lens filters/strange plots/men in berets saying "oh la lalalala". Nope the only clue that the film is French is the realisation that you are reading the subtitles... but you soon forget that too, and anyone who's done French up to A-level standard shouldn't have too much difficulty understanding the language.
In a just world this film would be every bit as successful as "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon": the film that proved that any film could overcome the language barrier to box-office success simply by containing a hell of a lot of fighting. And believe me, the fight scenes in this film are worth the entrance fee. They fail to reach the giddy heights of "Crouching Tiger" standards, but this is deflected slightly by the sumptuous shooting of every scene. Indeed it seems that excellent camerawork has become a pre-requisite of French cinema. As a reviewer on imdb points out the film contains an exceptionally good crossfade (Having watched "Ghost Dog: way of the samurai" I lost almost all faith in crossfading) and dare I say it, this is the best crossfade in cinematic history. As our hero paints Monica Bellucci and the camera pans over her naked breasts, it crossfades to two mountain peaks exactly the same shape as Miss Bellucci's own contours. Genius.
Now Monica Bellucci is a big-name actress and she is relegated to what is essentially a minor-ish character. That's because the film does contain some stellar talent, but not in the American box office sense. Best of all you can see Vincent Cassel playing the villain of the piece. It's a marked departure from his usual disillusioned skin-head role, and while he may still be rough and tough, the gruffness has transcended into a far more noble accent. In fact I was only able to spot him because of his visibly broken nose. He's ably supported by a cast of attractive young French nymphettes and some odious noblemen and martial arts pro's Marc Dacosas and Samuel le Bihan.
Now you may have noticed that I haven't gone into the plot at all yet... well, this is because the film's plot is at best passable and at worst farcical. I'm not talking about an "Exit Wounds" style plot where a script has been written around however many fight scenes, but it's hardly going to win the most complex plotting award 2002. Having said this, others have found the plot complex, the main problem for me was that I had read "The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Arthur Conan Doyle and so I was all too prepared for the various twists and turns, unfortunately. However, Sherlock Holmes would never have exposed the villain while locked in an epic battle involving swords, special telescopic extendable swords and jumping off walls. And that is why this film rocks; it has great fight scenes and a plot that ties them together satisfactorily.
For those who aren't familiar with the story, I'll give you a brief précis..
The film is set in 18th Century France, where a beast is out stalking and murdering women. Sent into the breach is naturalist and philosopher Gregoire de Fronsac and his native american allie Mani. In their attempts to reach the bottom of the mysterious killings they uncover a secret cabal and Fronsac falls for the daughter of an aristocrat. This sets up the basic box-office hit recipe: take a pinch of mystery, add a smattering of love interest, cook for two and a half hours and then add as many fight scenes as possible to taste.
This formula may be simplistic but you shouldn't ignore the addition of wonderful camerawork that sets this film apart from every other fight-scene film I have seen, with the exception of "the Matrix". The fights are shot exquisitely using slow motion, lingering stills and the occasional moment of calm where director Christophe Gans hesitates on a particularly sumptuous visual. It is beautiful to behold, especially on the big screen. Also of note is the best itself, when we finally set sight upon its CGI-created body it is impressive to say the least, perhaps even frightening. The fact that you are denied a glimpse of the best for so long is a testament to the taught pacing of the film. There isn't ever a dull moment because something is always left hanging, leaving you eager to find out what happens next.
I know I've talked up this film a lot, but I would give on word of warning. It did leave me rather cold. As some of you know I watch a lot of films, often foreign, and for me this film marks French cinema's first tentative steps into the mainstream. SUre films like "Amelie" have achieved success despite, and because of, their French kookiness. However, "Brotherhood of the Wolf" makes no attempt at following French conventions, instead preferring the well-trodden route of the American blockbuster. The film is a great deal better than any blockbuster I've seen, and thus it is with some sadness I concede that this probably won't enjoy the same success, but that's mainly because it doesn't go the full distance and go for an English dubbing. Unfortunately this leaves the film in a somewhat awkward position. In the cinema in which I watched it, the majority were University students studying French, who seemed disappointed. However, I expect you "Matrix" fans will be equally as wary due to the presence of subtitles and French speech.
Ultimately, I'd recommend this to you if you like action films mixed with a blend of fantasy. "Brotherhood of the Wolf" is not a bad film by any stretch of the imagination, and if you liked "the Matrix" you will love it. So why not give subtitles a chance and discover a film rich in fantasy and fighting?
Maintenant ŕ vous!
An almighty mess? Not quite.. You get an oddly American French film. Argh!! Don't run away! I know I said French but this film could just have easily been an American action film. There's none of that arty-farty nonsense you might associate with French cinema. No jump-cuttery ŕ la Godard and no lens filters/strange plots/men in berets saying "oh la lalalala". Nope the only clue that the film is French is the realisation that you are reading the subtitles... but you soon forget that too, and anyone who's done French up to A-level standard shouldn't have too much difficulty understanding the language.
In a just world this film would be every bit as successful as "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon": the film that proved that any film could overcome the language barrier to box-office success simply by containing a hell of a lot of fighting. And believe me, the fight scenes in this film are worth the entrance fee. They fail to reach the giddy heights of "Crouching Tiger" standards, but this is deflected slightly by the sumptuous shooting of every scene. Indeed it seems that excellent camerawork has become a pre-requisite of French cinema. As a reviewer on imdb points out the film contains an exceptionally good crossfade (Having watched "Ghost Dog: way of the samurai" I lost almost all faith in crossfading) and dare I say it, this is the best crossfade in cinematic history. As our hero paints Monica Bellucci and the camera pans over her naked breasts, it crossfades to two mountain peaks exactly the same shape as Miss Bellucci's own contours. Genius.
Now Monica Bellucci is a big-name actress and she is relegated to what is essentially a minor-ish character. That's because the film does contain some stellar talent, but not in the American box office sense. Best of all you can see Vincent Cassel playing the villain of the piece. It's a marked departure from his usual disillusioned skin-head role, and while he may still be rough and tough, the gruffness has transcended into a far more noble accent. In fact I was only able to spot him because of his visibly broken nose. He's ably supported by a cast of attractive young French nymphettes and some odious noblemen and martial arts pro's Marc Dacosas and Samuel le Bihan.
Now you may have noticed that I haven't gone into the plot at all yet... well, this is because the film's plot is at best passable and at worst farcical. I'm not talking about an "Exit Wounds" style plot where a script has been written around however many fight scenes, but it's hardly going to win the most complex plotting award 2002. Having said this, others have found the plot complex, the main problem for me was that I had read "The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Arthur Conan Doyle and so I was all too prepared for the various twists and turns, unfortunately. However, Sherlock Holmes would never have exposed the villain while locked in an epic battle involving swords, special telescopic extendable swords and jumping off walls. And that is why this film rocks; it has great fight scenes and a plot that ties them together satisfactorily.
For those who aren't familiar with the story, I'll give you a brief précis..
The film is set in 18th Century France, where a beast is out stalking and murdering women. Sent into the breach is naturalist and philosopher Gregoire de Fronsac and his native american allie Mani. In their attempts to reach the bottom of the mysterious killings they uncover a secret cabal and Fronsac falls for the daughter of an aristocrat. This sets up the basic box-office hit recipe: take a pinch of mystery, add a smattering of love interest, cook for two and a half hours and then add as many fight scenes as possible to taste.
This formula may be simplistic but you shouldn't ignore the addition of wonderful camerawork that sets this film apart from every other fight-scene film I have seen, with the exception of "the Matrix". The fights are shot exquisitely using slow motion, lingering stills and the occasional moment of calm where director Christophe Gans hesitates on a particularly sumptuous visual. It is beautiful to behold, especially on the big screen. Also of note is the best itself, when we finally set sight upon its CGI-created body it is impressive to say the least, perhaps even frightening. The fact that you are denied a glimpse of the best for so long is a testament to the taught pacing of the film. There isn't ever a dull moment because something is always left hanging, leaving you eager to find out what happens next.
I know I've talked up this film a lot, but I would give on word of warning. It did leave me rather cold. As some of you know I watch a lot of films, often foreign, and for me this film marks French cinema's first tentative steps into the mainstream. SUre films like "Amelie" have achieved success despite, and because of, their French kookiness. However, "Brotherhood of the Wolf" makes no attempt at following French conventions, instead preferring the well-trodden route of the American blockbuster. The film is a great deal better than any blockbuster I've seen, and thus it is with some sadness I concede that this probably won't enjoy the same success, but that's mainly because it doesn't go the full distance and go for an English dubbing. Unfortunately this leaves the film in a somewhat awkward position. In the cinema in which I watched it, the majority were University students studying French, who seemed disappointed. However, I expect you "Matrix" fans will be equally as wary due to the presence of subtitles and French speech.
Ultimately, I'd recommend this to you if you like action films mixed with a blend of fantasy. "Brotherhood of the Wolf" is not a bad film by any stretch of the imagination, and if you liked "the Matrix" you will love it. So why not give subtitles a chance and discover a film rich in fantasy and fighting?
Maintenant ŕ vous!
Page: