The Count of Monte Cristo and Possession

   Note: This is an old post I had prepared, and never published. Since it was ready, decided to do it now.

   More movies I've watched since I've last been here

The Count of Monte Cristo (2002 version)

   I liked this movie so much I intend to buy it! By what I've read, it is not the most faithful adaptation of the book - by the way, I always wanted soooo much to read Alexandre Dumas' books, but they are just way too expensive here and I can't find any in used book shops - but it's a very nice movie.

   It tells the story of Edmond Dantes. He is not very rich, but conquers many good things in his life which causes envy to his friend and noble Fernand Mondego. Mondego finds a way to incriminate Dantes for treason (and after the Revolution it was a very tense political time) and he goes arrested to Chatêau d'If, in a distant and desolate isle.

   There he meets an old man, Abbe Faria. He is very cult and teaches Dantes how to read, fight, about economy, politics, and mankind in general. He is trying to dig a tunnel to freedom, and Edmond helps him. But he is very old, and before dying he gives Edmond a map to the treasure he'd been put in prision for hiding. Edmond hides in the sack they would use to throw Abbe's body in the sea, and so manages to escape.

   He meets a bunch of pirates and wins their trust. Jacopo becomes his servant and best friend and togheter, with the treasure and faking nobility, they revenge those who did Dantes wrong.

   Really really good movie. I think Dumas was brilliant.

Possession

   This movie is not very known, but I loved it and I think you'll understand why.

   Maud and Roland are specialists in two victorian poets - she, in Christabel LaMotte; he, in Henry Ash - join forces to find out if the poets had a secret love affair or not, after they come about a few letters they wrote each other.

 
   They travel through many places their poems and diaries mention looking for clues of this unknown connection. But there are other scholars who hope to find evidences before they do and get the fame - and this might become dangerous.

   Oh, I wish I could go to many places to find out if writers did this or that based on what they left. What a dream job!

   I very liked the way they show the past and the present simultaneously.

   There's a book in which the movie was based, by A. S. Byatt. Seems it is more dense than teh movie. Sounds pretty interesting!

   Well, that's all I have for now. More later,