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Review by Dustin Putman
2½ stars out of 4
Picture it: Medieval times, circa 14th-century. A jousting competition is
about to begin at the town stadium. And the crowd is stomping their feet and
clapping their hands to Queen's "We Will Rock You." Yes, you read that right,
and it is this ingenious, bold mixture of the past and present that makes "A
Knight's Tale," directed by Brian Helgeland (1999's "Payback"), a worthwhile
motion picture.
William Thatcher (Heath Ledger) is a young man whose estranged father was a
peasant, passing down such lineage to him. He is broke, and desperately wants
to make something of his life. Then it hits him--learn jousting, pose as a
knight, compete in the tournaments, and gain money, honor, and respect. With
the help of his two buddies, Roland (Mark Addy) and Wat (Alan Tudyk), William
becomes Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein of Gelderland, and turns out to be a
natural at the sport. A force to be reckoned with, he single-handedly
succeeds in making everyone believe he is of "noble birth," and becomes the
most talented jouster in the land, next to the slimy Count Adhemar (Rufus
Sewell). William has to be careful, though. If just one person discovers his
true identity, the trouble that will follow him will be great.
So the story is thin and unoriginal, more or less a smaller-scale version of
2000's "Gladiator," and there isn't a whole lot to ponder when it's over. But
that music! More often than not, "A Knight's Tale" is a rollicking good show
that dazzles each and every time writer-director Helgeland treats the
audience to another classic rock song. While using present-day music in a
14th-century setting may feel like nothing more than a gimmick at first
glance, it acts as so much more. Not only do the songs fit effortlessly into
the proceedings, tightly edited by Kevin Stitt, but they also pose as a
bridge for the viewer, in connecting these medieval characters with
modern-day people. From War's "Low Rider," to Bachman Turner-Overdrive's
"Takin' Care of Business," to David Bowie's "Golden Years," to Thin Lizzy's
"The Boys are Back in Town," to AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long," "A
Knight's Tale" plays like a who's who of popular rock music of the 1970s and
'80s, and is a genuine treat whenever the soundtrack is pumped up and letting
loose its goods.
The songs aren't the only feature of today that have been transferred to the
past. The characters all boast modern values and attitudes, and are all the
more easily relatable due to this fact. Occasionally, there will also be
slang used (i.e. "Hellooooo!"), and the movie apparently unearths how the
Nike swoop was created. "A Knight's Tale" has fun with itself, and it is the
intermittent mixing of completely different eras that gives the movie its
reason for being. Without it, the film would, admittedly, be generic in the
most painfully dull way, and have not a lick of creativity.
The first time he has been asked to carry a movie on his own, the dashing
Heath Ledger (2000's "The Patriot") has an undeniably strong screen presence,
and his character of William is both likable and interesting--the type of
person you enjoy hanging around for over two hours. Opposite him is newcomer
Shannyn Sossomon, as the beautiful Jocelyn, the quintessential love interest
whom William falls head over heels for. Sossomon plays Jocelyn as a smart,
witty young woman, and gives her more dimension than the role probably had,
as written.
Lending adequate support are Mark Addy (1997's "The Full Monty") and Alan
Tudyk (2000's "28 Days"), as William's lovable sidekicks; Paul Bettany
(1998's "The Land Girls"), very funny as writer Geoffrey Chaucer, who becomes
William's spokesperson; Laura Fraser (1999's "Titus"), as a canny,
resourceful peasant girl who befriends William; and Rufus Sewell (1998's
"Dark City") as the token bad guy, and William's competing nemesis.
At 132 minutes, "A Knight's Tale" desperately needed scissors to cut off the
excess fat. The story is relatively simple, and the motions that it goes
through are predictable every step of the way. As a 100-minute entertainment,
"A Knight's Tale" would have been a little easier to give in to. As is, it is
a good movie--nothing great, mind you--that works in spite of its flaws,
first and foremost due to the offbeat approach with which director Helgeland
tackled the project. It's been years since music has been so smoothly, and
delightfully, integrated into a film.
Copyright © 2001 Dustin Putman
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out of 4
