Chloé ValmaryDecember 15, 2024
With “Un p'tit truc en plus”, and “L'Amour Ouf”, it is the other big piece of French cinema which marked the year 2024. Six months after its theatrical release and its 9 million entries, “The Count of Monte Cristo” with Pierre Niney arrives on CANAL+ on January 3. And we tell you why you shouldn't miss it.
The Count of Monte Cristo: the great adventure film of 2024
After the diptych devoted to Three Musketeers“The Count of Monte Cristo” written and directed by Mathieu Delaporte and Alexandre De La Patellière continues to explore the world of Alexandre Dumas. This film, presented in preview at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, brilliantly revisits the tumultuous destiny of Edmond Dantès, played by a Pierre Niney highway.
This promising sailor sees his life turned upside down on the day of his marriage to Mercédès (Anaïs Demoustier), when he is wrongly accused of treason by three rivals: Danglars (Patrick Mille), Villefort (Laurent Lafitte) and Fernand de Morcef (Bastien Bouillon). ). Thrown into the jails of the Château d'If, he meets Father Faria (Pierfrancesco Favino), who reveals to him the existence of a hidden treasure and teaches him essential knowledge to take revenge.
After his escape, Edmond Dantès adopts a new identity, that of the Count of Monte Cristo, and undertakes relentless revenge against those who destroyed his life. Helped by André (Julien de Saint-Jean) and Haydée (Anamaria Vartolomei), he weaves a complex web of strategies to reach his enemies.
This journey, both epic and personal, takes place in an era of post-Napoleonic upheaval, magnificently staged thanks to real settings and a substantial budget of 43 million euros.
The film arrives on CANAL+ on January 3
From its opening scene, where a ship sinks before our eyes, “The Count of Monte Cristo” imposes its epic breath. This adaptation, lasting an imposing three hours, takes the time necessary to develop each phase of the story, and respects the tripartite structure of Dumas' novel.
Pierre Niney delivers an exceptional performance. Between the naivety of Edmond Dantès' beginnings, to the calculating coldness of his return in the skin of the Count, the actor juggles with the nuances of his character. Special mention to the makeup, which illustrates his physical transformation throughout his journey.
The dialogues crafted by Delaporte and De La Patellière infuse a welcome modernity, while respecting the soul of the original text.
While the film's spectacular ambition is obvious, its real strength lies in its ability to marry this epic grandeur with an emotional depth that captures the essence of the novel. Where “The Three Musketeers” favored action, “The Count of Monte Cristo” finds a balance between the intimate and the spectacular.
With its success in theaters (more than 9 million admissions), “The Count of Monte Cristo” has established itself as a reference among Alexandre Dumas adaptations. This ambitious rereading, served by slick production and high-flying performances, can be (re)discovered on CANAL+ from January 3. A great adventure film not to be missed, which once again illustrates the vitality of French cinema.
