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5/14/2001 - A Knight's Tale - PG-13
A whimsical medieval adventure featuring a contemporary rock score.
A KNIGHT'S TALE. With Heath Ledger, Rufus Sewell, Shannyn Sossamon, Paul Bettany, Mark Addy, Alan Tudyk, Laura Fraser. Directed by Brian Helgeland. Rated PG-l3 for violence and nudity. Running time: 132 minutes (Columbia Pictures).
It's probably safe to say that A KNIGHT'S TALE is the first feature based on Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" to feature a classic rock score. From Queen's "We Are the Champions" and "We Will Rock You" to David Bowie's "Golden Years" to Thin Lizzy's "The Boys are Back in Town," this is one happening medieval movie.
The surprise is that it works. The music is there to illustrate a point: that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Jousting is the Middle Ages' version of football. The crowd goes wild. They have their hero: William (Heath Ledger), who actually isn't a knight at all but a serf to a knight who has died. The public has no knowledge of this, but William's arch-enemy is the hated Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell), so they probably wouldn't care if they did know.
William's friends help him with the deception, especially Geoffrey Chaucer himself, played winningly by Paul Bettany, who has forged documents to indicate that William is a member of the nobility. William's sidekicks Roland and Wat (Mark Addy and Alan Tudyk) offer moral support and lovely Kate (Laura Fraser) creates the armor. But everything nearly comes unglued when William eyes the woman of his dreams (Shannyn Sossamon), whose father is a royal bigshot.
A KNIGHT'S TALE is beautifully photographed on European locations, but what really makes it a delight is the acting. All of the characters are charming: Ledger is a stalwart knight-to-be, Bettany is a loopy and totally likable Chaucer, Addy and Tudyk are lovable buffoons. Even Sewell is the villain you love to hate. The only bit of miscasting is Sossamon as the lady Jocelyn; the role might have been better played by the radiant Fraser.
But that's really a minor quibble in a film that is whimsical, innocent fun. Viewing A KNIGHT'S TALE is like visiting a Renaissance festival: funny, full of anachronisms, and an experience not to be taken seriously. It might even make Geoffrey Chaucer smile.
--Bruce G. Hallenbeck
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