Just when it seemed that the fortune was smiling to the young sailor Edmond Dantés, he finds himself arrested on his wedding day for a crime he did not commit, and imprisoned without trial in the feared prison known as Château d’If. When all hope seems to be lost, Edmond meets a wise fellow prisoner that gives him the tools to escape the prison and eventually, to take his revenge against those who falsely accused him and destroyed his life.
Under his new identity as “The Count Of Monte Cristo” and wearing many faces, Edmond sets in motion several plots to ensure the destruction of his enemies, but this will also come with a heavy price and unintended consequences, where Edmond could end up losing what little remains of the gentle, loving man he once was.
Alexandre Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo” is one of my favorite novels (although I admit I only read it once more that twenty years ago) and I have seen several versions on film, mini series and comics. Each one of them has brought a new take on the story and I love most of them. I was excited to see this new version and it exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed every minute of it. The runtime goes a little bit more than three hours and I did not feel it because I was very engaged through the whole movie.
The acting was great all around, and I thought Pierre Niney did a very good job not only giving life to Edmond Dantés and his Count persona, but also the other impersonations that Edmond uses to lead his enemies to their doom. The settings and location looked very impressive and the photograpy was top notch.
But let me dive into the story, the part where I always focus more on.
As you might expect, there are some changes from the novel (all the adaptations have them, since the novel has A LOT of characters, backstories and subplots) and for the most part, they work very well.
The one change that stands out more for me was the introduction of a character named Angele. This new character is essential for Edmond’s tragedy and is related to the subplot regarding the prosecutor Villefort, serving as the fusion of three different characters. I felt it was a clever move, since it helped the film go faster and gave more weight to another character. I am keeping it vague to avoid spoilers for this version.
Some characters from the novel do not appear in this film, and others have a smaller role. I guess this could divide some people, but I thought the most important parts and events are present and explored very efficiently. I was a little disappointed with the way a very important reveal in the subplot regarding Fernand De Morcerf, (Edmond’s best friend and rival) was handled, but I guess it was done to make more impact in a romantic aspect.
I would love to discuss all the changes in detail, but I also think you need to experience this new version with the least information possible. I’ll bite my tongue and I’ll just recommend you to see this film in theaters when it is released.
“The Count Of Monte Cristo” was directed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière (and also wrote the script). The film has the talents of Pierre Niney, Bastien Bouillon, Anais Demoustier, Laurent Lafitte, Pierfrancesco Favino, Patrick Mille, Adele Simphal and more.
“The Count Of Monte Cristo” will be on a limited run in Los Angeles and New York starting on December 20th, but it will be available in more theaters on January 3rd, 2025.
