Review of The Count of Monte Cristo

What happened to your mercy?"
"I'm a count, not a saint."

Loved this film. I loved the book, but after some of my favorite novels turned into rubbish film adaptations, I wasn't expecting too much. But I was pleasantly surprised after viewing this film. Jim Caviezel plays the title role as the Count of Monte Cristo, who is actually the wrongfully accused sailor, Edmund Dantes. Guy Pearce (The Time Machine), is Fernand, Dantes' best friend and who is secretly in love with Mercedes (Dagmara Dominiczyk), the fiancee of Dantes. In a fit of jealousy, Fernand teams up with Danglars, the shipmate of Dantes, and they expose the supposed support of Dantes for Napoleon Bonaparte. Villefort's (James Frain) father is in fact the traitor, but in order to protect his reputation as Prosecutor, he has Dantes imprisoned for life, fuelled by the information provided by Fernand. Dantes spends 13 years in the Chateau D'If, but there he meets Father Faria (Richard Harris), who teaches him everything from philosophy, sword fighting, and proper etiquette. When Faria is gravely injured while working on their escape tunnel, Dantes takes the priest's place and escapes the prison. Upon taking ownership of the Spada fortune, he transforms himself into the Count of Monte Cristo, and begins his plans for revenge. Caviezel and Pearce provided a good rivalry, and of course, Harris was the perfect Father Faria (although as I recall, he was supposed to be Spanish). Helen McCrory (she plays Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter series) didn't have as much screen time as I hoped she would, but she was still as effective as the wife of Villefort. A good periodic piece, but don't expect it to strictly stick by the novel. ;)

8/10