Tristan & Isolde 2006

     An affair between the second in line to Britain's throne and the princess of the feuding Irish spells nothing but doom for the young lovers.  The dynamic between Marke, Isolde and Tristan is similar to Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot.  Some scholars believe that they originated from the same source story and then split apart into two versions.  In some King Arthur books, Marke's kingdom coexists with Arthur and Camelot, Lancelot meets Tristan and they compare notes.  The first known written version of the Tristan and Isolde story was done in France around 1235 by two men calling themselves Luce de Gat and Helie de Boron.  Scattered references have been found to a lost older source brought to France by English exiles.  In some versions of the story, Tristan is called Tristram and Isolde is called Iseult or Yseult among other spellings. 

     This film includes several fierce medieval battle scenes featuring swords, mallets, spears, knives and arrows.  The combat results in dead and bloody/wounded bodies.  The young lovers appear in various states of undress and throes of passion, kissing, embracing and hiding from authorities.  In one scene, two women strip to lie next to the naked and just washed-ashore Tristan in order to warm his body.  The young lovers engage in an adulterous affair after she is married and characters drink during party scenes.  5* (I really liked this movie)

125 min, Action directed by Kevin Reynolds and written by Dean Georgaris with James Franco, Sophia Myles, Rufus Sewell, David O’Hara, Mark Stron, Henry Cavill, Bronagh Gallagher, Ronan Vibert, Lucy Russell, JB Blanc, Graham Mullins, Leo Gregory, Dexter Fletcher, Richard Dillane, Hans Martin Stier.

Imdb 6.8* out of 10* with 50,410 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 31% with 121 critics  71% with 220,957 audience scores, reelviess.net 3*, James Beradinelli, Roger Ebert 3*, Common Sense Media Cynthia Fuchs, 2* out of 5*, age 14+, 3* sex, drinking, drugs & smoking 5* violence, Metacritic 49 out of 100 with 30 critics 7.9 out of 10 with 52 user scores.

Special Note:  Originally Ridley Scott was to direct this film in the late-'70s right after his debut film The Duellists (1977).  He put the film aside to direct Alien(1979).  James Franco stated it was his most regrettable role.  Sophia Myles’ (Isolde) wedding gown costume was previously used in Arabian Nights (2000), worn by Mili Avital (Scheherezade).  The last movie to be released by Franchise Pictures before the company went bankrupt.