Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

"...gorgeously photographed, sumptuously designed...  Jessica Winter, The Village Voice
"Pearce is something else.  Bob Graham, SanFrancisco Chronicle

Editor's Note In this highly entertaining, beautifully photographed rekindling of the classic French novel by Alexandre Dumas, director Kevin Reynolds choreographs a fantastic adventure replete with breathtaking scenery, fiery swashbuckling battles, lavish costumes, and, above all else, sweet revenge. In 19th-century Marseille, Edmond Dantès (Jim Caviezel) is the optimistic but uneducated son of a sea captain. He cherishes his friendship with the son of a count, Mondego (Guy Pearce), and is deeply in love with his fiancée, Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk). Young Dantès is so innocent and naive that it is positively shocking when Mondego turns on him, accusing him of treason, and having him sentenced to life in the dreary dungeon of Chateau D'If. Years of isolation and torture nearly defeat the revenge-thirsty Dantès, but with the help of invaluable lessons from the Abbé Faria (Richard Harris), his luck slowly changes. An incredible prison break starts Dantès on his way to a new life, and from there Reynolds' COUNT truly takes off. Battles with pirates lead to hunts for sunken ocean treasure, and soon Dantes is living in Marseille as the transformed, newly rich, self-proclaimed Count of Monte Cristo. Installed in a ritzy chateau, he slowly unfurls his excrutiatingly careful plans to exact his revenge on Mondego and all those who ever wronged him.

	Richard Harris
	Guy Pearce
	James Frain
	Jim Caviezel
	Alexander Dumas - Based On Novel By
	Tim Wooster - Cinematographer
	Andrew Dunn - Cinematographer
	Kevin Reynolds - Director
	Ed Shearmur - Original Music
	Gary Barber - Producer
	Roger Birnbaum - Producer
	Jonathon Glickman - Producer
	Jay Wolpert - Screenplay

New York Times
"...The period details are meticulous....[The director] is well served by his hardworking cast....Hard to resist..." 01/25/2002 p.E13

Box Office
"...Opulently produced and superbly acted....Caviezel embodies the transformation of his character completely..." 02/01/2002 p.54

Sight and Sound
"...Handsomely mounted....[The] costumes and furnishings are scrupulously detailed and give off a sense of authenticity..." 05/01/2002 p.41

Total Film
"...Caviezel's quiet intensity and now trademark haunted eyes means it's him you'll be watching....Very enjoyable..." 05/01/2002 p.88-9

Variety
"...A lavishly mounted and appealingly old-fashioned swashbuckler....The pic boasts a compelling human element to complement lively storytelling and sporadic action highlights..." 01/28/2002 p.27-36

Chicago Sun-Times
"...It's the kind of adventure picture the studios churned out in the Golden Age -- so traditional it almost feels new..." 03/24/2002 p.5

Entertainment Weekly
"...Caviezel makes a good fall guy..." 09/13/2002 p.134

Chicago Sun-Times 7 of 10
The Count of Monte Cristo is a movie that incorporates piracy, Napoleon in exile, betrayal, solitary confinement, secret messages, escape tunnels, swashbuckling, comic relief, a treasure map, Parisian high society and sweet revenge, and brings it in at under two hours, with performances by good actors who are clearly having fun. This is the kind of adventure picture the studios churned out in the Golden Age--so traditional it almost feels new. - Roger Ebert