Edmond Dantes becomes the target of a sinister plot and is arrested on his wedding day for a crime he did not commit. After 14 years in the island prison of Château d’If, he manages a daring escape. Now rich beyond his dreams, he assumes the identity of the Count of Monte-Cristo and exacts his revenge on the three men who betrayed him.
This winter has seen a wave of big Hollywood blockbusters from Wicked, Gladiator II, Moana 2, to upcoming releases such as Sonic 3 and Disney’s Mufasa, but this winter also sees the release of one of the best movies of the year that you have probably never heard of.
The Count of Monte Cristo releases in the U.S. on December 20, and it’s a film that you should definitely make an effort to go see this holiday season. This new adaptation of the classic story by Alexandre Dumas is brought to the big screen by directors Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte and stars Pierre Niney as the title character.
I was fortunate enough to see this film over the summer at Fantasia Film Festival and it immediately stood out as the highlight of the entire festival. The Count of Monte Cristo has gone through several film adaptations dating all the way back to 1929, and despite the several retellings of this story, The Count of Monte Cristo has never really made it into the mainstream of modern media. This new adaptation though, brings in modern technology and the biggest budget of any French film this year to create one of the biggest and most satisfying epics you will watch in 2024.
To get this out of the way, this film is nearly three hours long, which I understand is a big turn-off nowadays when deciding what movie to watch, but I can guarantee that it is three hours well spent, and you will not regret your decision. The Count of Monte Cristo is a grand film. A story that spans decades, taking us through an epic revenge story, but never falters in its pacing. Despite its three-hour runtime, the film always keeps you engaged with its captivating story and incredible performances.
The Count of Monte Cristo really surprised me in its technical aspects, and despite having the largest budget of any French film this year, it still only had a budget of approximately 43 million euros (approximately 45 mil. USD). The effects presented in this film were absolutely jaw-dropping and credit needs to be given to cinematographer, Nicolas Bolduc. The visuals in this film look a lot better than modern Marvel movies which have $200 million plus budgets and no doubt that is because of Nicolas Bolduc’s carefully crafted cinematography.
Of all the technical qualities, the one that I spent thinking about the most after watching The Count of Monte Cristo is the film’s incredible musical score composed by Jérôme Rebotier. The music honestly gave me full body chills with how epic and grand it was. The score is powerful and swelling and while the score can be extremely epic at times, it also knows when to let the emotional moments hit, supported by soft and beautiful theme.
The Count of Monte Cristo was one of the four films shortlisted by France this year to submit to the Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. Unfortunately, France’s Oscar Committee decided to submit Emilia Perez, which was the wrong choice in my opinion. There are still hopes for a Best Picture Nomination, but I fear that will be a long shot as I don’t see this film making that big of a splash in the United States.
Overall, The Count of Monte Christo is STUNNING! It tells a personal tale of revenge told on such a large scale. The way the story spans decades while still maintaining a smooth and coherent narrative is truly impressive and even though the film is 3 hours long there never felt like there was a dull moment. The performances are amazing, and the cinematography is beautiful, but the standout was the score! The Count of Monte Cristo is a grand and satisfying film that I can’t recommend enough!
Score:
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO GETS A 10/10!!!