After months of dominating the box office, snaring a record-tying amount of Oscar nominations and generally pervading our and nearly every other nation's culture, the mighty "Titanic" may finally have met the cinematic equivalent of an iceberg. No, it's not a sci-fi extravaganza, nor does it possess performers whom we've grown accustomed to appearing in big movies. We're talking about "The Man In The Iron Mask," and the thing it's got going for it, is a quarter of what made "Titanic" a hit. While some people went because it was a James Cameron movie, others went just to see the ship sink. Still others wanted to see Kate Winslet, and the rest wanted to see Leo.
That's Leonardo DiCaprio to you and me, and this new twenty million dollar man is now such a star that he may knock his other movie from the top of the perch in a cinematic game of king of the hill. That's not bad for a twenty-three-year-old who's been compared to James Dean. You may not be surprised then that he's being used in dual roles, but you may ask what in the world this movie is about.
Well, you've probably heard of the "Three Musketeers" and may have seen one of the various incarnations featuring those swashbuckling heroes, including Disney's recent 1993 take that featured Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell. "The Man In The Iron Mask" is a younger sibling to those stories, and is based on the works of Alexandre Dumas.
This version isn't new to the silver screen, as adaptions date all the way back to 1929 and continue through the following decades -- including one directed by James Whale (who helmed the first two "Frankenstein" movies) -- until a loosely based version, "The Fifth Musketeer" (with Lloyd Bridges, Ursula Andress, Olivia de Havilland, Rex Harrison and others) arrived in 1979.
As a youngster in the early 1970's, I fondly remember watching both 1974's "The Three Musketeers" and its sequel that came a year later, "The Four Musketeers." Featuring an all-star cast (Richard Chamberlain, Faye Dunaway, Charlton Heston and Raquel Welch among others) and directed by Richard Lester ("A Hard Day's Night," "Superman II"), the film was a thrilling escape for me as I delighted in watching Michael York gallivanting about as the adventurous D'Artagnan. I haven't seen the films in a long time and only have superficial memories of them, and thus was curious about how I'd feel about a new version.
Since my memories of those films have faded with time -- and were initially seen through the eyes of a preteen before the summer blockbuster onslaught that began with "Jaws" and "Star Wars" -- I can't say as to whether they were good films, or just "feel good" films that were silly but highly entertaining. This latest version falls into the second category. Those looking for high art had better turn away at the door, for this film nears being labeled as "Grumpy Old Musketeers." Well, that's actually taking it a step too far -- for Lemmon and Matthau are nowhere to be seen, and these characters are only in their middle, and not advanced ages. Yet, that's from where some of the film's humor originates in that these guys aren't youngsters anymore.
The focus of moviegoers, though, will be on the one cast member who is still a "pup." The teenage girls who are so enamored with Leo will be delighted to know that here they get a double dose of DiCaprio, with two flavors from which to pick. The Oscar nominated performer (not for "Titanic," but a best supporting nod for 1993's "What's Eating Gilbert Grape") plays both the arrogant, spoiled king and his identical twin brother who, of course, is an unassuming good guy.
While at first it seems that DiCaprio's playing the king all wrong, one remembers that he's playing Louis XIV as a young, conceited tyrant. Even so, seeing him sporting long blond locks and dressed in regal attire sometimes just doesn't seem quite right. Although this role will be long forgotten while his part in "Titanic" will live on forever (or at least for a long time), he does an okay job in both parts.
Then there are the middle-aged musketeers themselves, and the men who inhabit the roles are a talented bunch, but their performances are a mixed bag. Forty-nine-year-old Jeremy Irons, an Oscar winner for 1990's "Reversal of Fortune," has such a regal, dignified and definitely distinctive voice (remember Scar from "The Lion King"), that he easily fits into not only his role, but this period piece quite effortlessly.
Two time Oscar nominee John Malkovich (for "Places in the Heart" and "In the Line of Fire") is slightly younger than Irons and although he looks the part, his distinctive style of dialogue delivery -- something akin to an irritated cynic -- doesn't work here. I've thoroughly enjoyed his performances in other films, and while he has played "period" pieces before -- such as "Dangerous Liaisons" -- he just doesn't fit the mold of a Musketeer.
Then there's Gérard Depardieu, another near fifty-year-old Oscar nominee (for "Cyrano de Bergerac"), and the only Frenchman in the bunch (considering the film is set in France). Used primarily for comic relief (fart jokes and views of his bare butt -- not used in the same scene), Depardieu sounds right and is somewhat believable -- he's hit middle age, his gut has gotten bigger, and he hates all of it. That leaves forty-seven-year-old Gabriel Byrne as D'Artagnan. While he's okay in the role, he's always comes across as a "flat" performer to me. One never really gets into his character, and he's certainly not what I would have expected that Michael York's swashbuckler would have turned in to.
None of these performances will be ones for which the cast members are remembered. In fact, it nearly feels as if these talented actors found their way into a back lot costume shop and decided to don the outfits and do some role playing as musketeers. It's obvious that they realize that no one's going to take any of this seriously, and if you can get in on this session of make believe, you may just enjoy the ride.
For instance, there's a scene where Aramis tries to pass as an extremely obese man, when in reality he's smuggling a body under his robe. It's quite obvious that a) he's not really that fat and b) there's no way he could carry that heavy of a body under his robe without some massive struggling. Still, just as the guards buy into the notion, all director Randall Wallace asks (he's the guy who won the best screenplay Oscar for "Braveheart") is that you play along with the ruse.
It's almost like returning to childhood when you always played make believe with your best friends. Whether it was cops and robbers or perhaps even the three -- or four -- musketeers, you momentarily believed that you and your friends were those characters. Just as easily as you may have shouted, "All for one, and one for all," these actors easily fall into that role playing.
That pretty much sums up this film. If you're in the mood for a non-tasking, occasionally entertaining time at the movies, then this may be the picture for you. If you're looking for a semblance of a well-made film or one with great performances, then this probably isn't the one. Instantly forgettable, this is the equivalent of cinematically flavored jelly beans. There are lots of flavors to enjoy, but you'll have already forgotten the taste before you leave the theater. We give "The Man In The Iron Mask" a 6 out of 10.
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