Tristan and Isolde

Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance

James Franco	Tristan
Sophia Myles	Isolde
Rufus Sewell	Marke
David O'Hara	Donnchadh
Mark Strong	Wictred
Henry Cavill	Melot
Bronagh Gallagher	Bragnae
Ronan Vibert	Bodkin
Lucy Russell	Edyth
JB Blanc	Leon
Jamie King	Anwick
Leo Gregory	Sammy
Richard Dillane	Aragon
Wolfgang Müller	Rothgar
Jaime King

Director	Kevin Reynolds
Producer	Moshe Diamant; Lisa Ellzey; Elie Samaha; Jan Fantl; Anne Lai; Jim Lemley
Writer	Dean Georgaris
Cinematography	Artur Reinhart
Musician	Anne Dudley

Luscious cinematography and even more luscious stars make Tristan & Isolde a feast for the eyes. Adapted from the medieval love story, the movie begins with with young Tristan (played as a child by Thomas Sangster, Love Actually) as he sees his parents killed by the tyrannical Irish, who ruled over a fractured Britain after the Roman occupation. Taken in by Marke (Rufus Sewell, Dark City), who rules one of the British tribes, Tristan (James Franco, Spider-Man) grows up to be a young prince and a mighty warrior--and when he's believed slain in battle, he's given a royal funeral, which sends him out sea in a burning boat. But the fire goes out and Tristan washes ashore on Ireland, where Isolde (Sophia Myles, Art School Confidential), the daughter of the Irish king, nurses him back to health. Being a lovely pair of young folk bursting with hormones, they fall madly in love... and set in motion a tragic tale that's lasted for centuries in many variations. Some reviewers have criticised Tristan & Isolde for deviating from the most common classical version, but the movie's storyline--though certainly altered to appeal to modern audiences--is fairly strong. Myles and especially Sewell turn in strong performances; Franco, however, though surprisingly persuasive as a warrior, never burns as a lover. Nonetheless, the loving shots of Franco's muscular physique will make this a must-have for his fans. --Bret Fetzer