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	A Knight's Tale Heath Ledger, Mark Addy Sony Pictures, 2002 average customer review:based on 349 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

As if the soundtrack weren't audacious enough, Helgeland (recovering from the sour experience of his directorial debut, Payback) casts none other than Geoffrey Chaucer (wonderfully played by Paul Bettany) as William's cohort and match announcer, along with William's pals Roland (Mark Addy) and Wat (Alan Tudyk), and feisty blacksmith Kate (Laura Fraser). Of course there must be a fair maiden, and she is Jocelyn (newcomer Shannyn Sossamon), with whom William falls in love while battling the nefarious Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell) on the European jousting circuit. Add to this an inspiring father-son reunion, Ledger's undeniable charisma, a perfect supporting cast, and enough joyful energy to rejuvenate the film's formulaic plot, and A Knight's Tale becomes that most pleasant of movie surprises--an unlikely winner that rises up, like its hero, to exceed all expectations. --Jeff Shannon

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I laughed so much.

The movie is FUNNY. The movie doesn't pretend to be historically accurate, so don't go there if that's what you want to see.
It's a fun movie, a funny movie. And I expect I'll sit down and watch it every now and then to enjoy a good laugh.


I LOVE this movie!!!

I've seen it a thousand times...and just love it! It's one of those flicks that just makes you feel good and puts a smile on your face. Of course it doesn't hurt that Heath was gorgeous to look at in ths flick too!It's great to see him happy and healthy...and this is the way I want to remember him. You could tell he was really enjoying himself while making this film. Whenever I've had a hard day...or just need to be cheered up...I put this movie in. Just the dancing scene alone lifts me up. I'd recommend this film to anyone. It's not a film to be taken seriously - but just to enjoy again and again. And you will feel inspired. Just remember...you always have the power to change your stars.

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"No matter what, a man can change his stars!"

Sometime in the early 1370s, six months in the life of English writer Geoffrey Chaucer went unaccounted. A KNIGHT'S TALE - an earnest, historical epic movie (okay, not really) - ventures a tongue-in-cheek answer to that mild conundrum. But, firstly, the film gravitates towards the young peasant squire, William Thatcher, who fears of wasting his life away as a humble nothing. When his knight is fatally injured during a joust, William seizes an opening for self-betterment. With the help of his reluctant fellow squires, he passes himself off as a nobleman, intending to compete in knightly tournaments. But William must first qualify by presenting patents of nobility, which list his noble lineage.

Which is where Geoffrey Chaucer comes in, naked in bodily form but not in spirits. Chaucer gets William, now callling himself Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein of Gelderland, that much closer to achieving his objective, being able to forge the necessary patents and acting as Sir Ulrich's herald. As tournament follows tournament, Sir Ulrich proves to be mighty in prowess and very popular with the masses. But he may have set too lofty a goal when he dares to fall in love with the nobleman's beautiful daughter, Lady Jocelyn. And, ultimately, Sir Ulrich's dreams of love and a better life may rest on his ability to best the grim and haughty Count Adhemar, who is a tournament champion and a rival for Jocelyn's fancy...

This film is definitely a far cry from one of those tired medieval epics. A KNIGHT'S TALE is a rousing, high spirited adventure, bolstered by a perfect cast, an immensely relatable underdog story, a sexy romance, and friggin' rock & roll music. As director Brian Helgeland confesses facetiously in his audio commentary with Paul Bettany, he was not aware that rock & roll did not exist back in the 1370s. But, believe or no, this anachronism serves the movie well. One of the early scenes involves the tournament crowd getting amped up with Queen's "We Will Rock You." This right away lends an amazing energy to the screen and gives notice to the movie audience that this one film isn't quite like any other. Other classic rock tunes pepper the film, with David Bowie's "Golden Years" being particularly effective in the dance sequence; there's a sense of exhilaration and sensuality to Jocelyn and Sir Ulrich getting jiggy on the floor. What the music does, other than setting a desired mood, is lend a refreshing contemporary feel to the film. I really dug those moments, historical inaccuracies be damned.

Speaking of historical inaccuracies, you don't really think this is where the Nike swooosh logo originated, do you? Or sports fan face painting?

"I give to you the seeker of serenity, the protector of Italian virginity, and the enforcer of Our Lord God, the one, the only - Sir Uuullrich von Lichtenstein!!" I have to admit that my favorite actor here is Paul Bettany, who plays Geoffrey Chaucer. From the moment Bettany makes his very startling onscreen appearance, he begins to steal scenes left and right. He's even more brilliant when he takes on the role of Sir Ulrich's herald and begins to rev up the tournament crowds with his ringing, bombastic introductions of his liege. I'm such a big fan of this dude.

Not to neglect the rest of the cast. The lead is the late, very much missed Heath Ledger and, at this stage in his career, he was well on his way to attaining bankable leading man status. His very engaging performance in A KNIGHT'S TALE definitely put him on that level. William Thatcher, handsome and bold, appeals to every gent with ambition and, I'm guessing, to every girl out there who has the ability to swoon. His retinue of friends and "servants" are perfect, simply perfect: Mark Addy, the calm and sense in the maelstrom; Alan Tudyk, fiery tempered and eager to administer vicious fongings (to fong = to kick); Laura Fraser as the lovely and spunky Kate the farrier; and, of course, the golden-voiced Paul Bettany.

Shannyn Sossamon makes her promising big screen debut and is luminous as the moon, unveiling a hint of sass and more than a hint of the sexy. Her chemistry with Ledger is a smoldering thing. The sad thing for her career is that not in any of her following films has she been as good as she was here. Maybe that'll change. And what's an adventure movie without a good adversary? Rufus Sewell as Count Adhemar oozes priveleged arrogance, dark jealousy and sinister thoughts. Is there any doubt that the dastardly Count Adhemar wouldn't hesitate to get medieval on William's, er, backside (but not in the same way as in PULP FICTION)?

Do yourself a favor and also check out the juuuust a bit tongue-in-cheek audio commentary by director Brian Helgeland and Paul Bettany. They'll fill you in on trivia such as which actor was voted sexiest by the females of the cast and crew, how Bettany managed to not show the fella when in *that* scene, which actor is projected by the commentators to be the next James Bond, which actor's parties have become the stuff of legends during the filming, and who ended up purchasing Sir Ulrich's Kate-created armor.

I've seen A KNIGHT'S TALE a busload of times, and it's yet to wane in appeal and watchability. You wouldn't think that a collision of Queen and Chaucer (to quote Helgeland) would work. But it does, and tremendously, thanks to the actors who create and inhabit fully realized characters. The sheer exuberance of this film blows me away, and the underdog premise makes me root for William's motley crew time and again. If you haven't seen A KNIGHT'S TALE yet, well, frankly, I'm a bit envious. But what are you waiting for? A fonging?

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Never Seems Light

"A Knight's Tale" was delightful to me when I saw it in the theatre. I recently started thinking about how much I liked it and then saw a copy @ a bargain price. Heath Ledger never seems light, even when in a frothy bit of romantic comedy from the middle ages. There is a fierce intensity to his work. His one Oscar nomination came for Best Actor for "Brokeback Mountain" in 2005, a film for which he won similar awards from critics' associations in Las Vegas, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco & St. Louis. As William Thatcher, he is a joy to watch as the servant who dreamed he could become a knight.

Director Brian Helgeland won an Oscar for screenwriting for "L.A. Confidential" in 1997 & was similarly nominated for "Mystic River." I found the DVD extras interesting as his explanation of why the rock music that is clearly out of period was used. His concept tried to make the period easy to relate to for modern audiences and show the energy from those times as if they were happening today. The dance sequence is still amazing.

Alan Tudyk's flaming red hair looks great on the DVD. Tudyk came to the screen with "Patch Adams," "The Wonder Boys" & with Sandra Bullock in "28 Days." As Wat, he lends great comic timing. Some of the deleted scenes are priceless as he mugs wildly. His sidekick Mark Addy who played with Ledger in "The Order" as well as his breakout role in "The Full Monty" does a good job as the rotund Roland who eagerly helps William in hopes that he will get to see his family again.

Paul Bettany came to the fore in "A Beautiful Mind" & as the flagellating albino priest in The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition), but I particularly liked him as a romantic lead in what was a critically slammed film, Wimbledon. As Geoffrey Chaucer, Bettany bares his behind to show the wordsmith with a gambling addiction. The deleted scene where William, Wat & Roland follow a naked Chaucer only to meet his wife is hilarious.

Shannyn Sossamon was discovered for this role when she was spinning discs for a party. I've enjoyed her work on TV's "Moonlight," the vampire series. As Jocelyn, she is lovely and brings kind of a romantic wisdom to the part. While I've read she's compared frequently to Angelina Jolie, I kept thinking of Keira Knightly as I watched this DVD. The scene where William follows her on horseback into a church put a smile on my face.

Rufus Sewell is another intense actor. He had a supporting part in the Jude Law-Cameron Diaz film I liked, The Holiday, as well as a major part in the excellent film The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition). As Count Adehmar, he is as ruthless as he is good looking. The strength of his arrogance contributes strongly to the making Thatcher such a sympathetic character.

Christopher Cazenove who was in one of my favorite films, "Eye of the Needle" from 1981, plays William's father. The scene is touching where the blind father sits in the stadium as his son knocks Adehmar to his just deserts. James Purefoy who plays Edward, the Black Prince of Wales, also has an excellent cameo appearance where he rescues William from the stocks.

This is not a "period" picture, but it is delightful entertainment that stands up well seven years after its release. Enjoy!

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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