The Count of Monte Cristo (Subtitled) (12A)

(Subtitled)

Directors Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte breathe new life into the classic revenge tale for a new age.

The year is 1815 in Marseille, France. A 22-year-old Edmond Dantès (Pierre Niney) is promoted to the captain and eagerly awaits marrying his fiancée, Mercédès. But when jealous peers frame him for a crime he didn’t commit, he winds up in the Château d'If dungeons for over a decade. Following a daring escape, he discovers a vast fortune and returns to France under the guise of the "Count of Monte Cristo," a persona he adopts to seek revenge on those who destroyed his life.

Every second of 180 minute runtime screams epic. Niney carries the film with ease, managing to depict Dantès’ journey from young charmer through righteous crusader to jaded old man wondering if revenge was what he should have lived for. The relentless push of his story ensures that you’re riveted to the bitter end.

Just like last year’s fantastic two-part adaptation of The Three Musketeers, this is an expert adaptation of a huge tale, told with appropriate passion and scope, and certain to ensure the French film industry continues to have a great time bringing its classics home.