MAN IN THE IRON MASK, THE

SYNOPSIS:
In 1660, the young Louis XIV (Leonardo DiCaprio) reigns arrogantly over France. Of the legendary Muskateers, only one has remained in the Royal service, D’Artagnan (Gabriel Byrne), while Athos (John Malkovich) lives a simple life as a widower with a son, Raoul (Peter Sarsgaard) who is about to get engaged to the beautiful Christine (Judith Godreche). But the King fancies Christine for himself and arranges for Raoul to be sent to the front, to make way for himself. Meanwhile, Paris is starving, and all Louis XIV does is send out rotting food that his army has left. Riotous Frenchmen threaten his tranquility and his court is restless with a King so ignoble. Aramis (Jeremy Irons), who has turned to the priesthood, Porthos (Gerard Depardieu), who has turned to licentiousness and Athos, who has turned to solitude, the legendary Muskateers, re-unite to try and repair the Crown; one for all and all for one. The basis of the plan is the extraordinary secret of the man in the iron mask. Only D’Artignan refuses take part, misguidedly and desperately clinging to the notion of loyalty to the King. This makes the Muskateers’ mission even more dangerous – but danger has never deterred these men of passion and valour. And when the need arises – which is often throughout this adventure - they are as courageous as ever, and as resourceful.

"Propelled by a star-powered cast, The Man in the Iron Mask is engaging, impressively staged with plenty of pizzazz and entertainment value. Randall Wallace’s handling of Alexandre Dumas’ tale has enjoyable characterisations and excellent production values, with sumptuous surroundings and locations. Wallace takes us to an era in which honour takes pride of place, and valour, loyalty and courage are of ultimate importance. Romance, pomp, ceremony and splendour make an authentic backdrop integral to the story. The price we pay for this high-class cast, is that there’s not too much validity or consistency in the variety of accents of the leading players. But this is Hollywood, and relatively easy to forgive, because the performances are terrific. Leonardo DiCaprio affirms his strong screen presence with the dual roles of the royal twins, while each of the other seasoned leads shines in his own way. Irons with his piercing gaze, Malkovich’s heated passion, Byrne’s subtlety and Dépardieu’s clowning around. There are some very funny moments. In fact, it looked like these boys were having a whale of a time. In the wig department, prize for the scruffiest goes to Dépardieu, closely followed by Malkovich. One of the film’s great strengths is the fluid musical score, which matches the ceremony and splendour, yet retains emotional sensitivity. A little long at just over two hours, The Man in the Iron Mask is an enjoyable romp, whose main calling card is a host of acting talent."
Louise Keller