Movie #343 - King Arthur

King Arthur
2004 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 6 min
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Clive Owen, Ioan Gruffudd, Mads Mikkelsen, Hugh Dancy, Joel Edgerton, Ray Winstone, Keira Knightley, Stephen Dillane, Stellan Skarsgard

I think they should've put blue-faced Keira Knightly on the poster, but maybe that's just me.

In a Roman Empire-era retelling of the classic King Arthur, Clive Owen brings stately poise to a role played by many greats before him... including Sean Connery.  A strong ensemble cast makes this a solid attempt, and it's nice to see real horses instead of coconuts (Monty Python...) and a quest that's not for the grail.  The knights are on one last mission before they earn their freedom, possibly the most dangerous mission they've ever faced.  Some will live, some won't.  But everyone fights like mad... including Keira.

It's a nice reboot since it breaks away from the dressed-up versions of this story to reveal a grittier, dirtier, humbler iteration.  I like it for its originality and also for the its lead role's effortless handsomeness. What can I say? Clive Owen is pretty rad.

Movie #36 - Atonement

Atonement

Universal Pictures
2007 - Rated R - 2 hr 3 min
Director: Joe Wright
Starring: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romola Garai

I'd never seen this movie before and I wasn't really sure what to expect from it. I'm 50/50 on the lead actors, typically scared of books-turned-film, and I also had no idea what this was about.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one, however. Enough to go and read the book, I think.

Keira Knightley didn't annoy me and I think I might actually be a James McAvoy fan now. These two were well suited to each other and you really believe their relationship is real. Add one meddling 13-year-old with strong (though false) convictions. And this would-be chick flick becomes a drama about life, betrayal, and how sad life can really be sometimes.

If you haven't seen this because you think it's all about love and sex, please just watch it. I applaud Ian McEwan for being so real you want to punch him in the face. We all have something we regret in life (none of us as badly as Briony, that meddling teen--I hope), but on some level, we can all relate to that deep down in your bones desire to make amends.