Recently in Drama pg. 7 Category

Directed by William Friedkin. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Benecio De Toro, Connie Nielsen, John Finn, Leslie Stefanson. Drama/Action. Synopsis: A man who trained trackers-human hunters- for the Army is reluctantly pulled back into his former life when he is asked to help find a former student who is on the loose and unable to adjust to post war life.

I had high hopes for this one, even though I knew nothing about before I picked it up, just based on the cast, director, and the story line as depicted on the box cover and by the title. That formula works sometimes, and sometimes it doesn't.

It worked in this case. The Hunted is a good and enjoyable flick that is well acted and directed. The premise of the story is simple: Benecio Del Toro (The Pledge) plays a highly trained U.S. Army soldier who is exceptionally efficient in the art of hunting and killing the enemy. After his last tour in Kosovo, however, something snaps and he is no longer able to really differentiate between peaceful civilians and the enemy. As such, he develops the habit of killing hunters and outdoorsman who are otherwise just enjoying the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

As you might guess, this comes to the attention of the local authorities and the F.B.I, who set in to catch these "killers", being sure that this could not be the work of just one. The F.B.I enlists the help of an old contractor, L.T. (Tommy Lee Jones U.S. Marshals) L.T is taking it easy in a remote location, but in the past he helped out the military and the feds in the art of "tracking", the refined ability to hunt and kill humans anywhere, using techniques and senses that are developed to the level of a hunting animal. It's just that LT never actually killed anyone himself, he only trained soldiers to do it, and at some point he began to have reservations about his life's work.

So, he reluctantly joins the task force investigating these crimes and quickly advises them and their leader (Connie Nielsen Basic) that they are, in fact, looking for only one man and that he is a former student of LT's...in fact, his best student.

And, from there, the chase is on. What makes this such a good action movie is that it is not formulaic, you will see some different things than in your normal action flick. For one thing, the characters have some depth and there are twists to the chase-or "hunt"-which takes place both in the wilderness and on the streets of Portland. Also, the two main characters meet up early on in the film, only for there to be an escape and another more involved hunt later. Director Friedkin (The Exorcist) does a great job of keeping the action moving and the use of the flashback scenes to tell us about the extent of the relationship between the two main characters works very well, we get enough of the back story without a lot of "sitting down and talking scenes", which can negatively impact an action flick.

Jones is awesome in his typically dry and laconic persona and Del Toro is great with his intensity and rage he brings to his character. A good flick.   

 Starring:Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Jack Black, Colin Hanks, Evan Parke, Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis. Drama/Fantasy/Remake Synopsis: A struggling movie director with an unique vision takes his cast and crew on a voyage to shoot a movie with no financial backing, instead landing on a mysterious and unknown island where they encounter all manner of wonders, particularly a 25 foot ape who captures the heart of the leading lady and is eventually brought back to New York City.

If someone asked me to name the 10 best young actors/actresses ("young" being a relative term), two names that would be in my top 10 would be Adrien Brody and Naomi Watts, no question, especially for Ms. Watts. Those two are the primary reason I got around to checking out King Kong on DVD, as the classic story (franchise really) of the big ape has never really appealed to me, and I have never gotten around to watching either of the two previous stories of Kong (With Fay Wray in 1933 or Jessica Lange in 1979...I think) 

So, it kind of pains me to say that this film didn't do much for me at all. The acting is good, but you kind of expect that with a cast like this. It's just the story...well, its a little too far out there for me, even as a fantasy, to really care about the characters or to believe the "romance" between actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) and the big gorilla.

The film starts out with a pretty good setup/background of some of our main characters. We meet the struggling director (Jack Black) and struggling vaudvillean actress Ann Darrow and we can quickly appreciate their circumstances in Depression era Manhattan. Black is a director with a unique vision and a dearth of scruples who takes after learning that his financial backers are not going to fund his next project, but before they can actually fire him and take back the stock footage that he has already shot.

It seems that he has a vision for a movie to be shot in a faraway, exotic locale, a place that no one knows about (but that he incredibly has a map to) and he just needs to find his leading lady, which he does literally on the street hours before the ship sails.

While on board with this motley crew of actors as well as the actual crew, a budding romance develops between the writer who was actually tricked into coming along, Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody The Jacket) and Ann Darrow. The film actually does a credible job of showing us the chemistry between these two, which makes it even harder to understand the affection that Ann Darrow will later have for this ape.

Also on board the ship, we witness a strong relationship between two of the crew members, but is never explained or developed, ending with the death of one (Evan Parke) at the hands of Kong himself, again raising a question, at least for me, of Ann Darrow's instant affection for an animal that has killed men trying to save her.

Alas, not the only question that I had in the film, which really stretched my suspension of disbelief quotient, such as: where did Jack Black get the map to the island that knows about? How did the blue people manage to survive on an island with giant apes, dinosaurs, and insects without any modern weapons such as guns? Where did the huge jugs of chloroform come from and why did the crew on the ship just happen to have them? How did the crew and actors get Kong on the little boat back to New York? How could the boat support Kong's weight? How does Jamie Bell's character manage to hit all of those huge bugs attacking Adrien Brody's character with a machine gun while his eyes are closed?

I could go on, but you get the point...a little too far fetched for me, even given that you go into a movie like this understanding its fantasy. To me, the fantasy is that, o.k., "if there were really 25 foot apes, it might happen like this..." But, I just couldn't get there with this film.

Brody and Watts do a good job, but it's not enough to save this film from mediocrity. The real standout is Jack Black, who is wonderfully sleazy in his role and his character benefits from having the best of a suspect script.

The best part of the film, of course, is the CGI and special effects. In fact, it almost seems as if the story was put together to compliment the effects, instead of the other way around.

King Kong is, by no means, a bad film, and the youngsters will no doubt appreciate it very much. But, with such a time tested franchise and with such good actors, it should have been a lot better. 

Directed by Ray McKinnon. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Lisa Blount, Ray McKinnon, Harry Lennix, Walton Coggins, Grace Zabriske, Colin Fickes, Harry Dean Stanton, Johnny Galecki. Drama/Romance.

A story of a couple whose married life is ripped apart by an automobile accident that leaves her injured, their child dead, and him in jail for years. Upon his release, he surprisingly returns home to rebuild his life and, hopefully, hers, but they both find that as  much as things change, they remain the same.

This one goes under the header of quality small budget movies that are character driven, based on a good story, good script, and well directed. It reminded me in feel and texture from the opening credits of The Badge, which isn't surprising when you consider that two of the stars in this one (Thornton, McKinnon) had major roles in The Badge, plus McKinnon directed this one, as well.

The story is set in the Ozark mountain region of Arkansas, and begins with a long haired (and presumably younger) Joe (Thornton) driving very fast along the winding mountain roads with his wife Chrystal (Lisa Blount) and young son in the car. A horrible accident occurs as the car careens off the road and we see Chrystal laying motionless after being thrown from the car, and the young boy standing apart from the scene, watching quietly, with no hint of emotion.

The film cuts abruptly to a scene where Chrystal is giving sexual favors to a young man in the back seat of an old car. We see Joe striding up the road and only later do we learn that he has been in prison for twenty years. (Note of warning: the movie progresses for a good 4-5 minutes before there is any dialogue. There is nothing wrong with your DVD player)  

The relationship between Joe and Chrystal is odd, to say the least, as there is little communication between the two of them until late into the picture. We learn from conversations with other characters that Chrystal is well educated and well read for her group of peers, might have some mental stability issues as she believes she is carrying a child in her neck, and never got around to divorcing Joe. (We also get the impression that Joe didn't bother to tell Chrystal that he was being released...or coming home)

We also learn that, while in prison, Joe tried several times to escape, would be known to yell for his release to go look for his son, and used to be a premier marijuana dealer in the area. Oh, and one more thing to whet the appetites of those who have not seen the film: the body of their son was never found nor was any trace of him ever recovered.

As Joe is trying to re-acclimate himself to life on the outside, while sleeping on Chrystal's porch and hanging out with her ne'er do well cousin Larry (Walton Coggins), he is approached by the current big wig in town, at least in the area of drug running (and possibly using), Snake (McKinnon). There is an undefined but palpable history and tension between Joe and Snake and Snake makes it clear to Joe that he is not to resume is marijuana growing habits...unless, of course, he agrees to do it for the entrepreneurial Snake. Let's just say that the two don't have a warm fuzzy for each other, but things don't boil over until Snake insults the honor of Chrystal, who apparently "got around" quite a bit when Joe was in jail.

An interesting sidebar to the story is the presence of Kalid (Harry Lennix) a blind music professor from Chicago who, let's say, sticks out in the Ozarks. He is there to do a study on folk music in the region, having an old friend in Chrystal's grandfather, Pa Da (Harry Dean Stanton). Chrystal and Harry meet and its clear that Chrystal has an interest in Harry, though she remains, in her own way, committed to Joe.

There are other interesting characters in the film who help weave the fabric of the movie. Colin Fickes is lovable and funny as the good natured Hog, and Grace Zabriskie hits a homer with her portrayal of Chrystal's mother, Gladys.

This is a very good drama that almost disguises the fact that it is really trying to be a romance. Without spoiling it, don't think you are going to see the classic boy meets girl/boy loses girl/boy gets girl theme. Well, its there, but there is a twist on the ending of that theme which makes for a very good ending for the film.

I've only been to the Ozark region once, and even then not as deep into it as the setting of this film (I guess I was in what you would call the tourist part), but I would be stunned if it was not filmed on location. McKinnon, in addition to doing a fine job as the evil Snake, also directs the movie in fine fashion, not spoon feeding us anything, leaving the appropriate things open for our own interpretation, but giving us what we need to make that determination. If that is not enough, he also wrote the screenplay.

As you might guess, the cast is, overall, excellent with Blount (McKinnon's wife) giving an amazing performance. And, for anyone who is a Billy Bob Thornton fan (c'mon, aren't we all), you need to get this one asap.

Negatives? None that I can think of, unless you are just not into something so character driven and so region specific. Oh, and there are no special features on the DVD.

That's a shame. The features, like the movie, would have been excellent.         

Directed by James McTeigue. Starring Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, John Hurt. Drama/Action. Synopsis: A futuristic tale of the resistance against a totalitarian British society revolving around one freedom fighter who wears a mask in honor of a 17th century rebel who attempted to burn down parliament.

Wow. Now this one is really one to talk about, the type of movie that gives you a little of everything you could want in a film all in one movie: action, intrigue, suspense, light comedy, some romance, and keeps you interested, yet does it all in a fairly unique way. Its the kind of movie that is hard to describe, only because you know you won't do it justice.

V is set in Britain in the future, not too distant, in fact, although it is not specified, you get the feeling from the settings and continual news that is the backdrop of the film that its no more than a few years from the present day, if that. That makes it even more interesting when we realize how much things have changed, not just in Britain but globally. We learn early on that the United States is now the "former" U.S. and referred to as the "colony" that is besieged by disease. As for Britain, its now a totalitarian society, itself recovering from a wave of a deadly virus, complete with a national curfew, a ban on such things as real butter and the Koran, as well as a propaganda spewing press. Again, we are not told the exact specifics of how and when this came to be, which I think is very effective within the context of the story.

That's probably how major changes have seemed in history, although not to us in hindsight. For many people living in Germany in the early 1930's for example, the change from one of the cultural meccas of Europe to arguably the most evil regime in history in just a few years could probably be described as "slowly at first, then all at once."

Getting back to V for Vendetta, the two main characters are Evey (Natalie Portman) and mask-wearing avenger-or terrorist-depending on your point of view, V (Hugo Weaving). V wears a mask fashioned after the face of 17th century English hero (antihero?) Guy Fawkes. The symbolism is intentional, as V intends to spark enough unrest to overthrow the entrenched regime, lead by the Chancellor (John Hurt The Elephant Man, The Skeleton Key)

Evey is the child of now deceased parents who were active in the resistance back in the day when things really started getting bad, so there is a little bit of a rebellios streak in her. She meets V when he appears out of nowhere to save her from a probable rape by two goverment officials who had approached Evey for breaking curfew.

Every is swept off her feet by V and soon learns of his huge plan to blow up Parliament-in the manner of the real Guy Fawkes-and to start what is hoped will be a huge uprising against the government. And, V is really something with his sword, let me tell you, as well as being very smooth with his tongue particularly, as you might guess, words beginning with the letter V.

V systematically begins whacking key political figures who, we find out later, have personally wronged him in the past, which is part of the reason he wears the mask. Of course, there is no surprise when the romantic flames begin to flicker between V and Evey, but it is almost totally implied and in the context of their shared disdain for the government.

Like I said, this movie has many elements and will keep you engaged from start to finish. To me, its clear that its a statement on where we could be in short order, based on where we are now, and when I say "we", I'm talking about the U.S./British alliance and specifically what is going on in the Middle East. Now, that is not stated specifically, but its sure what I got out of it; as well as how easy some think it might be for a whole society to turn so completely on "despised" groups such as foreigners, homosexuals, etc.

So, its a political movie in the clothing of an action flick, and without making any obviously political statements, so you can just enjoy it as a futuristic fantasy film if you want. The acting is excellent, and I should also mention that Stephen Rea is also wonderful in his role as a reluctant police officer who clearly has reservations about the government he serves. Hurt is perfect for his role and commands the screen as always, Portman and Weaving were fantastic together.

This one was an instant addition to the favorites list.

For what that's worth.      

Directed by Brian DePalma. Starring Al Pacino, Steve Bauer, Michelle Pfieffer, Robert Loggia, F. Murray Abraham, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Harris Yulin.Action/Drama

SYNOPSIS: A Cuban ex-patriate comes to the United States as part of the Mariel boat lift and begins meteoric rise to the top of the Miami cocaine trade.

O.k., this might be the ultimate of the cult classics. But, that is just my opinion. I've seen this flick probably 50 times over the last 25 years and, I know its a cliche, but it never gets old for me. Like a number of movie fans of my generation, I can recite many of the (in)famous lines from the movie, usually in my imitation of Tony Montana's (Al Pacino 88 Minutes Devil's Advocate) voice, mouth turned down and everything. At the time of its release, it did not do well at the box office and was widely criticized for its excessive use of the "f word" as well as its violence.

Well, for those of you have not seen Scarface, understand that you have "modern" sensibilities when it comes to violence (meaning you can watch any edition of Saw from start to finish without seeking therapy), this won't even make you blink.  As for the "f word" well,...yeah, its used a lot, though I think Crank 2 might challenge it, along with Good Fellas, for the mantle of using that word the most in any mainstream movie I've seen.

Anyway, on to the point. Scarface is a remake of a movie of the same name released in the '30s starring Paul Muni, and modernized to the present day (1980s at the time of its release). Its basically the Horatio Alger type of tale, only our hero, Tony Montana, is hard working and industrious in his journey from the bottom to the top of the criminal world.  

And, to me, that is what makes this movie so good. We root for Tony, we empathize with Tony, hell, we like Tony. Now, in the recent wake of seven excellent seasons of The Sopranos, it might not seem so incredible to like such an obviously flawed character, but that is just the thing here. We just might not see Tony as completely bad.

Tony is one of thousands of Cuban criminals moved to the United States by Fidel Castro in the real Mariel boat lift, and that is where the story begins, with Tony being interrogated by U.S. customs agents and trying to convince them he is just a political prisoner looking to make a life in the U.S., something he has always wanted to do. They don't buy it, and Tony and best buddy Manny (Steve Bauer) find themselves in a detention center in Miami.   

Tony is a hardworker, fearless, and he wants to make it big in his career and start a family. Not too different from Everyman. In a way. He sets his sights on his dream woman that he wants to marry and raise his kids, Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer Love Field).He's not the slightest bit deterred by the fact that she is the lady of his boss, Frank (Robert Loggia Independence Day, The Sopranos).

Tony sets out to rise to the top, living his version of the American dream embodied by the phrase 'the world is yours". He's doesn't let the conservatve nature of his boss, Frank, stand in his way any more than the attempt of the corrupt cop, Mel (Harris Yulin Hurricane, Training Day), or the loyal lieutenant of his boss, Omar, (F. Murray Abraham Cadence, Bonfire of the Vanities)   to control or stop him.

But, we all know you can't have everything, and Tony finds this out after he reaches the top. But, its a hell of thrill ride along the way, with his takeover of Frank's business, his misguided devotion to to his younger sister, Gina, (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio The Abyss ) and the penultimate ending in a haze of bullets and glory.

If you haven't seen the flick, know this:everything you've heard about this movie is true, with its over-the-top violence, exaggerated use of accent/dialect, the chainsaw in the shower scene, the hanging the rat out of the helicopter scene, all of it.  The thing you have to understand is, it works. You will be asked to suspend disbelief, big time, as far as the plot, but you won't mind doing so. There is a reason this flick has been referenced in numerous action flicks, as well as other cinema and TV (The Distinguished Gentleman, New Jack City, Deep Cover, The Sopranos, to name a few) since it was released more than a quarter century ago.

To me, its for one primary reason. Yes, it captured the feel of the early '80s (although in 70s clothing for the actors) as well as the spirit of the national consciousness of the drug war. Yes, the violence was cutting edge for its time, and still quaint for "gore fans" of a newer generation(s). Yes, there are several scenes that are unforgettable, like Tony's drunken restaurant speech ("Say good night to the bad guy!"). All that is true, but in the opinion of your humble reviewer, this movie survives-and will continue to survive-as the ultimate cult classic because of Al Pacino. I've already told you how I thought he made the bad guy/hero role empathetic.

But, even more than that, he just brings Tony to life for us as one of the more charismatic characters in cinema history. We all know we're talking about one of the best actors of all time here. His accomplishments onscreen are legend. And, do you know what? I think this just might be his best performance of them all. That alone should make you want to buy or rent this flick even if nothing else has moved you.

As an added note, the DVD has some awesome special features. I just love extras on dvd, but when you not only have extensive commentary and interviews, but also behind the scenes footage from the making of the movie...well, you can't get much better than that.  

Directed by Charles Adessi and William DeMeo. Starring William DeMeo, Conor Dubin, Raymond Serra, Joe Viterelli, Joe D'Onofrio, Daniel Maugotta. Drama. Synopsis: An ambitious young man, his brother, and their friends grow up in Brooklyn with their eye on becoming somebody in the neighborhood. They start in gambling, extortion, and loan sharking and work their way up to being with  the most established crime  family in the neighborhood, but the cost is understanding the real meaning of family in the life they have chosen.  

Movies about the Mafia have long been among the most popular and endearing in American cinema for decades, and those of us who are fans of the genre just keep coming back for more. Wannabes is yet another foray into the world of Cosa Nostra, with the focus being on some young guys from the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn wanting to become what they are not: part of a crew, part of a family. The story is told mostly in narrative flashback, with the voice of Paulie (Conor Dubin) telling us the story and setting up many of the scenes involving the leader of the group, his brother Angelo (William Demeo) and their friends as they claw their way to respectability in the neighborhood by running their own sportsbook, extortion, and their attempted foray into the lucrative "protection" racket.

Angelo is brimming with ambition and will not be denied, always seeking to push the envelope as far as possible, to the point of getting into a p****** contest, figuratively....(well, you'll have to check out the flick to fully appreciate that clever double entendre) with Vinny (Joe D'Onofrio) the son of Santo (Joe Viterelli ),boss of the number one family in the neighborhood. This presents a problem as the seed of a conflict between the two, especially when Santo brings Angelo's crew into the fold to work for him.

Angelo is so good at what he does that he and his crew become favorites of Santo, with Angelo outshining Vinny. Well, the tension between the two factions of the family grows, especially in light of Santo's obviously failing health. Angleo is doing so well that he demands that Paulie get out of the life, go to school and find a nice girl to settle down with.

Santo's decision to "make" Angelo a part of the family, prior to doing that for his own son, Vinny, is the fuse that sets off the powder keg in the wake of Santo's death. By that time, Paulie is out of the life but finds himself drawn back in as he concludes he must be there for his family and friends.

Wannabes is a small budget film that will not, and does not try, to equal the Godfather or Good Fellas. You really only get the sense of limited budget during the action/fight scenes, of which there are relatively few for a mafia movie. In fact, it might be too easy to classify this as just a "Mob" movie, as it is the classic story of the rise to the top of people coming from the outside, clawing their way up and the choices they make to attain success-however its defined-and the prices they pay for achieving that success.

You'll see some faces you recognize here from other mafia movies, although no superstars. Joe Vitterelli (Mickey Blue Eyes, Analyze This) will probably be the face that jumps out the most, and it should be, as his look was tailor made to play a mob guy, and he did that very well and, in this film, leaves his traditional role as tough guy or consiglerie to be the main man. Joe D'Onofrio is also really good as the epitome of the spoiled son of the boss, more bark than bite and with a sense of entitlement.

Demeo does a pretty good job in his role, although you would expect the leader of a group on the outside trying to get in to be a little more dynamic or physically imposing. Dubin also does well as the brother, Paulie, although it's very obvious that he isn't really Italian. Look for Raymond Serra to steal a few scenes as Uncle Tommy.

Overall, this is a nice little movie, especially for fans of the mobster genre that might be looking for a hidden gem-although this was made some time ago, I had not even heard of it until recently. As for whether its a "gem" , or not, that's up to you. For me, it falls short of that, but I definitely would watch again and would buy it for the collection at the right price. Last, but not least, it was one of the last performances by Joe Vitterelli before he passed away.

Directed by  Laurence Dunmore. Starring Johnny  Depp, John Malkovich, Susan Morton, Rosamund Pike. Drama/Historical Synopsis: A frank look at the last few years of the Earl of Rochester, John Wilmot, a 17th century poet who was both a friend of King Charles and one of the more influential authors of the Restoration.

This film starts with Johnny Depp as John Wilmot doing a monologue that is shocking in its sexual suggestiveness (considering our modern view of the 1600's) and includes John Wilmot telling us that we will not like him.  

Well, I have to beg to differ. I liked the character and the film quite a bit. I got this one solely because of Johnny Depp (Secret Window, From Hell), who will become a legend if he keeps reinventing himself from role to role. Though I'm a history buff, I had never even heard of John Wilmot and, as usual, I did my background research after seeing this flick. I'm happy to report that, so far as I can tell, the movie stays pretty close to the written history of this talented writer and social agitator who, almost literally, drank and fornicated himself (in a manner of speaking) to death by the age of 33.

The story does not waste much time with a lot of historical background or explanation. Whether this was calculated with an eye to a primarily British audience or not, I don't know but I think that it is a good thing, as the social and political affairs of the time in Britain are going to be outside the knowledge of most viewers. Plus, the story stands fine on its own. John Wilmot is a privileged man in search of nothing other than self pleasure. His taste for the excess is, in no way, dimmed by his station in life or his friendship with the King (John Malkovich Burn After Reading, Mary Reilly). We see from the first moments of the movie that Wilmot is not one to deny himself and, I must say, the sexual innuendo and suggestion might surprise some of you. 

Wilmot is a writer, obviously talented but maybe viewed as underachieving at a time and in a place where literary people wielded much more influence than is comprehensible for us today. He also has a love of the theater, where he sets out to mold a struggling young actress (Susan Morton), with whom he, of course, has an affair. It should be mentioned that Wilmot is married at this time and, in fact, was married until his death, notwithstanding his sexual excesses (including a strong implication of bisexuality).

Wilmot has success in helping his protege become the toast of London, but he is soon in the middle of controversy as he takes a request from the King to pen a play and turns it into a suggestive and lewd satire of the King and his court. Needless to say, this does not go over, as they say, real big and Wilmot is soon on the lam, his relationship with his girlfriend in the tank and estranged from his, for whatever reason, loyal wife.

During this time, Wilmot's physical condition starts to completely deteriorate and the film is quite graphic in depicting the effects of his alcoholism and "social disease" (probably syphilis). Believe it or not, you will see Johnny Depp literally rot before your eyes. Not pretty, but effective cinema that is necessary for the story and also accurate history. To me, you can't help but like Wilmot even as you despise his lifestyle. Maybe he was just a couple of hundred years ahead of his time in attitude, but understand that the film makes no attempt to romanticize or glamorize his sexual conquests or hedonistic lifestyle. Wilmot paid a huge price for this, believe me.

On the other hand, I think the real success of this flick is showing us a little known historical figure whose ideas would not be so far out of step with those of the late nineteenth or twentieth century. An unforgettable scene is a horribly disfigured Wilmot addressing the King's Court and supporting the future succession of the throne from the King (now an enemy of Wilmot's) to his brother who is, hold your breath now, a Catholic.

Johhny Depp is fantastic in this role, disturbingly likeable and completely believable in this role. For those of you who have seen this movie, how many actors of his stature would play a role that is so visually unappealing? Susan Morton is wonderful as well, playing a liberated woman who, like Wilmot, is centuries ahead of her time. And, it will be no surprise that I tell you John Malkovich is great, though almost unrecognizable as the King.