The Lion in Winter

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bob c KH too old. PO not bad. Others are just OK except young girl who isn’t, it’s also too stagey, being a play. But if you liked the Becket, Man for All Seasons etc you’ll like this. (I’d move on to Polanski’s Macbeth for real stuff). Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/25 Full Review Russ G If I could give this Zero Stars, I would. A script so bad even the great Peter O'Toole can't save it. Kate Hepburn stinks up everything she's in, and here she's exactly a quarter century older than her leading man, 61 to 36, utterly unconvincing as his queen. Her voice, always annoying, has a post-menopausal rasp - not "On Golden Pond" bad, but bad. There's unintelligible dialog making the already baffling character motivations even more obtuse, but you won't care about any of them anyway especially the youngest, John, portrayed as a complete buffoon. O'Toole shouts a lot but that's not acting - again, a bad script and bad direction. Anthony Hopkins attempts his best impression of Richard Burton. To cap it all off the score is shrill and intrusive. When Kate boards her royal barge at the conclusion resolving absolutely nothing, with O'Toole looking like the Fiddler on the Roof, you'll know it's two hours 17 minutes you'll never get back. How this PoS received any critical acclaim is beyond me. Good reviews are based solely on the reputations of the two leads and that's not enough to carry a film. Lots of good actors have been in stinkers, and this Stinks to High Heaven. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/25 Full Review Ben M One of the worst historical dramas I've seen. The core premise is that rival claimants to the throne are hanging around a castle to hatch plots against each other. It is completely implausible from start to finish. Their relationships are inexplicable, their schemes unintelligible. The script is effectively an overwrought melodrama communicated in the most purple prose imaginable. The characters' actions make zero sense: they are warm and affable and then suddenly cold, murderous then suddenly incestuous. It is absolutely impossible to follow. One of the most ridiculous films I've seen and it gained half a star for that superlative alone. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/25 Full Review Glafira Regina O What immediately caught my attention was the unique theme—Henry II and his wife, medieval England, and Christmas. The 12th-century life is brilliantly portrayed with costumes, sets, and overall atmosphere. Although the marital life of Henry and Eleanor is somewhat “romanticised” and exaggerated, the queen’s outstanding performance and sharp humour more than makeup for it. Now is the perfect time to watch this film, as the events, as I mentioned, take place during Christmas. So, make sure to jot down the title! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/07/24 Full Review Alec B Goldman's screenplay is glorious, both melodramatic and savagely funny. O'Toole and Hepburn play off each other so well, a great melding of two generations of acting styles. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/05/24 Full Review A E A classic & deserving of the designation. O'Toole & Hepburn are superb. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Lion in Winter

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