Miramax Films Uma Thurman and
Tim Roth in "Vatel."
“Vatel” Starring Gerard Depardieu, Uma
Thurman and Julian Sands Directed by Roland Joffe
A film about the political and social power struggles of
17th-century France, “Vatel” is teeming with undeniable
allusions to the contemporary world of Hollywood glitz and glamour.
In the movie, Francois Vatel (Depardieu) is a man of many talents.
He is a chef, artist, wit and master to a forgotten county in
France. He is the Prince de Conde’s right-hand man and
together their objective is to win back the favor of the young
Louis XIV (Sands) so that their forgotten county might once again
enjoy financial prosperity. They hope to impress the king with
three days of entertainment. Through the food, music, dance and
theater of the time, Director Roland Joffe offers audiences a
glimpse at one of histories most lavish and luxurious rulers
““ the Sun King, Louis XIV. But behind an aesthetically
pleasing foreground lies the politics of the times.
Internationally, France is on the verge of war with Holland.
Domestically, the king is asserting the centralization of power.
Even within the king’s bedroom are the politics of women who
compete to be his mistress. Anne de Montausier (Thurman) is one of
these women but is nevertheless unique in character. She is the
female counterpart to Vatel. Though they are of different social
classes, they are both slaves to the system. Both characters’
statuses are based on the favor of men in higher positions.
Francois Vatel impresses Anne with his honesty and integrity. He
then falls in love with Anne’s beauty and strong character.
They develop the seedlings of a romantic relationship, but the king
wants Anne as his mistress, and Vatel must do anything to please
the king. Through conflicts of identity and status, the film raises
questions about the nature of life. Anne is torn between her need
to be loved and her own self-preservation. Vatel knows he can save
his master’s region by impressing the king, but as an
individual he is powerless. In the end both Anne and Vatel
tragically realize the cost of freedom. They develop a great love
for each other that does not resonate with the reality of the
time’s social hierarchies. In modern terms,
“Vatel” sadly reflects the greed and excess of society.
This film could have replaced King Louis XIV with a powerful
corporate CEO without losing the essence of its message. The
cinematography is beautiful, and the acting is precise. Through the
images of food, dance and elaborate theater sets, the beauty of the
time is highlighted with the exception of a scene of pyrotechnics
that seems out of context. Geared toward European romantics and
American history buffs, the film might not have enough sex,
violence or vulgar expressions to keep the short attention span of
the mass American audience. “Vatel” is subtle and witty
but slow. It takes its time to bring out the essence of the
characters and the plot. Its only flaw is its pace and the
occasional phony French accent.
Ruvin Spivak Rating: 8
“Haunted Castle” Starring Jasper Steverlinck
and Kyoko Baertsoen Directed by Ben Stassen
The new 3-D computer-animated movie “Haunted Castle”
is like a very sick and twisted three-dimensional version of a new,
hip computer game. The movie combines amazing special effects,
computer animation, eerie adventures, horrid creatures and extreme
amounts of gore to make a very interesting movie that bears
incredible resemblance to typical hi-tech computer games. Even the
movie’s story line bears this resemblance in that its plot is
about as exciting as that of “Ms. Pac-Man.” In
“Haunted Castle,” a three-dimensional movie now playing
at the Sony IMAX in Universal City, viewers can explore a haunted
mansion through the eyes of Johnny (Steverlinck), an up-and-coming
rock musician. In this not-so-thrilling tale, Johnny goes into the
castle previously owned by his dead mother (Baertsoen). He soon
discovers that the house is inhabited by the devil and fellow
demons who attempt to convince the young musician to sell his soul
for a successful music career. Johnny then sees a whole lot of
scary stuff. Luckily for moviegoers, however, an amazing story line
that would keep viewers at the edge of their seats wasn’t
exactly the main objective of the makers of this movie. Instead,
they wisely milk the movie’s nifty 3-D special effects for
all they are worth to make for an exciting hi-tech experience.
Writers seem to have built the movie’s plot around how many
dazzling special effects a particular turn of events would allow.
As the musician begins his trek throughout the house, a group of
ghosts appear in the form of knights and begin to flail their
swords at the castle’s newest guest. Meanwhile, viewers will
flinch as the knights’ three-dimensional computer generated
weapons seemingly whisk past their faces. Toward the middle of the
movie, viewers are startled with amazing 3-D graphics as Satan
reveals himself in the form of a scary-looking fireplace.
Apparently, Satan has been running the music business since the
beginning of its existence and making artists sell their souls to
him in exchange for fame and fortune. Maybe rock ‘n’
roll really is the devil. Toward the end, the movie even offers its
own 3-D version of Disneyland’s “Star Tours” when
Johnny takes a roller coaster ride through the hellish scenery of
the castle’s dungeon. Each successive scene is more
elaborately ghastly and impressive than the previous one. The
three-dimensional scenes will amaze and startle viewers as the
horrific demons on screen seemingly hurl themselves into the
audience. Where conventional movies capture audiences with comic
relief, heart-wrenching tales or choreographed fight scenes,
“Haunted Castle” captures its viewers with hi-tech
computer graphics and detailed three-dimensional imagery.
“Haunted Castle” is a part 3-D movie, part computer
game, part roller coaster ride experience. Despite an uninteresting
plot, viewers will be dazzled with intense, in-your-face 3-D
effects.
Suneal Kolluri Rating: 7