Based on the French adventure novel of the same name, Le Comte de Monte-Cristo is a three-hour epic detailing the trials and tribulations of Edmond Dante (Pierre Niney). He’s a young French sailor who reaches for revenge after escaping prison and finding treasure in the island of Monte-Cristo. With this newfound wealth, he becomes the Count of Monte-Cristo and slowly worms his way into the world that unfairly pushed him out in his youth. 

The budget of this film was evident from the beginning, and the incredible cinematography was apparent from start to finish. This film felt larger than life, something I would only use to describe a feature film showing in large corporations such as Cineplex. We don’t usually get the opportunity to see this coming out of France here in Canada. Still, hopefully, it will become something we have the chance to see more of in the coming years.  I can see a movie of this calibre becoming a major picture in the near future, and I believe that audiences worldwide would fall in love with it just as much as I and the sold-out crowd in Fantasia did. 

The narrative was also straightforward, which I sometimes find challenging in films this long—especially when the storyline tries to depict most of a protagonist’s life. However, directors Alexandre De la Patelière and Matthieu Delaporte have beautifully demonstrated the power of creating narrative without elaboration. Just pure art on the film screen. Despite the film’s length, it never once feels like 3 hours. Every moment is crafted to give the audience precisely what they need to continue exploring the journey of Dante’s life with him. I genuinely hope for a major picture release on this film, as I believe it is an absolute winner on the North American stage.