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The Count of Monte Cristo

This version of The Count of Monte Cristo stars Wanna Be Hot Bad Guy James Caviezel as The Count and Hot Bad Guy Guy (hee hee) Pearce as the evil Fernand Mondega, who betrays his friend, gets him sent to prison, then marries his friend's girlfriend. While the movie is far cheerier than the book (ah, the joys of 19th century French literature), it's still mainly a downer. The real fuel for the story is Edmond Dantes' never-ending search for revenge on those who have wronged him. And oh boy, have they wronged him. When he finally escapes from prison, his one driving passion is for revenge. Oh, and hidden treasure. But mainly revenge.

Ah vengeance. It's the stuff that all the best Hot Bad Guys' careers have been built on. But here, alas, it is completely justified. While we might catch a rare glimpse that the Count is enjoying ruining other peoples' lives, in truth, we sympathize with the guy. And also, in truth, it's hard to get all that compassionate for the vile Fernand. He cheats on his wife, ignores his son, and, worst of all, is a lousy card player. Luckily his fashion sense redeems him, even though his hair could stand to be cut down a tad. In fact, the costumes (for the men anyway) in this movie are fantastic. Especially the cloak that Edmond wears at the end; it's all flowy and lined with purple. And he always carries a sword. Yeah... I could go watch this again right now.