Los tres mosqueteros: Milady

The Three Musketeers: Milady completes the first chapter of their adventures with another exciting story full of political intrigue and action. It comes so close to being wholly satisfying but just can't help itself so at the last minute it ends on another massive cliffhanger. With the promise of another instalment being so far away and not entirely guaranteed, it makes it harder to stomach.

François Civil, Vincent Cassel, Romain Duris, and Pio Marmaï remain a wonderful core four. The witty dialogue gives them plenty of opportunities to showcase their strong chemistry and it feels like they spend a lot more time together in this one, which is a huge bonus. Eva Green was and still is perfect casting. Her enthusiasm is so visible as she revels in the villainy whilst still bringing some nuance.

Martin Bourboulon's direction keeps the one takes for the majority of the action which gives all the swashbuckling a lot of energy without being hindered by obvious joins (again) and there's a generally epic feel thanks to the beautiful locations where the biggest dramatic moments take place. Guillame Roussel's score is suitably rousing with a winning commitment to making everything as serious as possible.

I can't say that I enjoyed this as much as the first outing for this new breed of musketeers, but it's still an enjoyable and authentic looking adaptation of these timeless and honourable Dumas characters. We know that "Constance" (Lyna Khoudri) has been kidnapped and that the enamoured "D'Artagnan" (François Civil) is determined to get her back - but how? Well the almost fatal attack on the king (Louis Garrel) has galvanised everyone - friend and foe, and the musketeers determine that they must get to the ringleader of that plot before it is eventually accomplished and the kingdom is plunged into chaotic warfare. Now everyone suspects the malevolent Cardinal Richelieu (Eric Ruf) but surely it's not in his interests to kill Louis XIII? The Queen (Vicky Krieps) and her not-so-secret English lover Buckingham (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) might be in the mix, or maybe just a disgruntled nobleman? "D'Artagnan" is first with a clue after he inadvertently rescues "Milady" (Eva Green) from a prison (after she fell off a cliff!) armed with a secret, coded letter. What does it mean? Can it help find his love and save the kingdom? Meantime, we start to learn a little more about this enigmatic "MIlady" and of her relationship with "Athos" (Vincent Cassel) whilst his two pals "Aramis" (Romain Duris) and the affable "Porthos" (Pio Marmaï) do their bit for the story and the country too. It looks great - the settings, the costumes, the combat scenes all smack of effort having been spent on making the scenarios ring true. I'm still no great fan of Eva Green, but here she starts to exude just the tiniest hint of menace as the story builds to the conclusion of this search for love and traitors. It's a wee bit more earnest, this time around - there's less humour and I missed that. I don't mean laugh out loud stuff, but here we rarely see all the musketeers together; their camaraderie isn't so obvious. This is essentially Civil v Green and that doesn't always work so well. Still, it's a solid and quickly paced adventure story that I found passed two hours effortlessly.

Once again a tremendous spectacle, served with a bunch of very fine actors ("la fine fleur" of French actors) in all their glory, who make most of the scenes of the movie a tasty delight to savour... In particular the highly charismatic Eva Green and François Civil, who both have this magnetic presence that makes you wanna follow each of their adventures (each of the moments they share are captivating)...

The staging and overall design of the movie is as majestically pleasing as in the First Part (both movies were shot at the same time) with very gorgeous framings and lightings (wonderfully mastered)... The action and stunts do the job (in spite of this recurring shaky camera), with a few cool bits (hats off to the final confrontation).

Of course the stakes -even if already pretty high at some point in the First Part- are even higher here... Numerous events in this Second Part mirror events recounted in the First Part ; the situation is pretty tight for the main players, and the whole -mysterious- intrigue gets thicker and tastier as it evolves... With Milady playing a pivotal role in everything ; even when she is not here, her shadow never is very far... But things, during the entire movie, don't really go as expected, twists after twists...

In the end, this two-parter story definitely is a pretty gem in the long history of French Cinema, because it shows the nice will to produce a pleasing cinematic piece, à la française ; but in a fashion that uses some of the welcome contempory/modern tools.

A fine and tasty adventure to watch, and potentially a Third Part to come (?)

"The Three Musketeers" by Alexandre Dumas comes to life in the cinematic adaptation, which, while deviating in some details from the book, manages to preserve the original work's essence. The story follows D'Artagnan and his loyal friends, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, in a captivating 17th-century setting. Political intrigues, thrilling duels, and secret romances intertwine as they battle against the cunning Cardinal Richelieu and the enigmatic Milady de Winter. Although poetic licenses result in more battles than in the book, the film successfully captures the spirit of adventure, action, and romance that has made this classic swashbuckling tale endure.

It's good to return to the big screen, connect again with the magic of the dark room and much better to do it with a film that captivates you from beginning to end.

The second part of the great project led by Martin Bourboulon is much more vibrant, fast-paced and entertaining, with a narrative rhythm that does not falter at any time, but does not leave plot gaps either. The dramatic arc of the characters is much more solid and clear, Vincent Cassel as always does not need many minutes to demonstrate his stage presence, François Civil finishes shaping a rising D'Artagnan, but who steals the screen every time he appears is Eva Green, who from start to finish makes a truly impeccable hero-villain game.

A real pleasure to enjoy an epic film project far from the great arms of Hollywood.