Between the Pages

This film is one of many based on Alexandre Dumas’s novel of the same name.  I say ‘based on’ rather than ‘adapted from’ because this is really a very loose interpretation of the novel, with Kiefer Sutherland, Oliver Platt and Charlie Sheen playing, respectively, Athos, Porthos and Aramis, and Chris O’Donnell as D’artagnan.  Tim Curry plays Cardinal Richelieu, Julie Delphy is Constance, and Gabrielle Anwar is Queen Anne, with Hugh O’Connor as King Louis XIII.  Count Rochefort was played by Michael Wincott, and Rebecca De Mornay rounds out the cast as Milady D’Winter.

I wanted to see this film out of curiosity, having recently read the novel, and also having very much enjoyed BBC1’s series The Musketeers (again ‘based on’ the novel, with new storylines for the characters).  In all honesty, I was not expecting to enjoy this film as much as I did – I’m not a big fan of Charlie Sheen, but he was actually rather good as Aramis.  Sutherland and Platt were the best characters, with Sutherland’s Athos suitably melancholy, and Platt’s Porthos typically boisterous and playful.

However, I did feel that O’Donnell was miscast as D’Artagnan.  This is not a criticism of the actor – I’ve enjoyed his performances in other roles – but I did not feel that he was right for this part.  I also did not really enjoy O’Connor’s portrayal of the King, although to be fair I was distracted by his awful hairstyle.  Tim Curry camped it up magnificently as the Cardinal, and appeared to be having a thoroughly good time.  I also really enjoyed Wincott as Rochefort – he stole several of the scenes in which he appeared (and what a fantastic raspy voice)!

The storyline revolves around the musketeers and D’Artagnan having to foil the Cardinal’s plot to form an alliance with England, and unseat the King, but it is really just an excuse for lots of swashbuckling, swaggering, and sword fights.  There’s lots of humour too, and Porthos in particular had me laughing out loud a number of times.

Overall, if you are looking for a faithful adaptation of the book, this is not the film for you.  If you are looking for an amusing adventure film, then you might well enjoy it.

Year of release: 1993

Director: Stephen Herek

Producers: Jon Avnet, Jordan Kerner, Roger Birnbaum, Ned Dowd, Joe Roth, William W. Wilson III

Writers: Alexandre Dumas (based on the novel by), David Loughery

Main cast: Keifer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen, Oliver Platt, Chris O’Donnell, Tim Curry, Hugh O’Connor, Michael Wincott, Gabrielle Anwar, Rebecca De Mornay

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Click here for my review of the novel.

Click here for my review of the 1973 film adaptation.

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