The Last Duel

One is uncomfortable in matters of court, estate management, and affairs of the heart, but he is at ease among men on war campaigns. She is his way to the land and the continuation of the family line, certainly not his beloved better half. The other is a "man of the future", charismatic, skilled in court intrigue, educated in reading, writing, arithmetic and languages. And he is ambitious. He is also used to getting away with everything, without any consequences. She is a muse for him, who flows with him affectionately whenever they bump into each other. And then there's her, caught between (not only) those two and their decades-long rivalry for power, position, favour and property (which includes her). Rashomon's approach is used with sensitivity, it's not an overdone "three times the same situations diametrically opposed". On the contrary, when the situations are reenacted, they differ in nuance and staging, basically in the details where the devil is hidden. It all adds up to a thrilling final duel that, in terms of adrenaline, stakes and emotion, is among the best chivalric action ever to grace the screen – the best, not the most faithful, because it denies all the laws of historical fencing. But to hell with that. Perhaps the only thing missing is the view of someone impartial not caught up in the whirlwind of the trio's events. If there's anything to single out by name, apart from the aforementioned duel, it's the multi-layered performance of Jodie Comer, who must be completely different three times and yet still the same character, and – I can't believe I'm writing this – the performance of Ben Affleck, who relishes the role of the debauched, string-pulling lord to the fullest. (24/10/2021)

Ridley Scott is a unique filmmaker, each of his great historical films is unique in style, concept and narrative. From classic linear swords and sandals (Gladiator), to a spiritual journey (Kingdom of Heaven), to peasants running around the woods in cool packs (Robin Hood). The Last Duel is most similar to Robin Hood in aesthetics and production design, but it is more serious, topical and layered in content. It's the story of a strong woman who was ahead of her time in thought (and courage). A breathtaking acting tour de force in an original and daring script, spiced with phenomenal visual stylisation, darkened camera filters and a fierce final sword fight. There isn't as much action as usual and the running time is a bit too long, mainly due to the fact that some shots are repeated several times due to the way the story is told – which is also basically the only flaw. (17/12/2021)

If you leave aside the fact that Affleck’s image is rather more reminiscent of a contemporary Miami Beach teenage exhibitionist than of a historical figure, and if you’re not bothered that the main female character, alongside all of those close-minded dimwits, has higher emotional intelligence than most contemporary spiritual college girls, what you will get out of The Last Duel is an engrossing reflection on the issues of contemporary society, bizarrely set in a historical chamber drama that will make your heart pound in its climax. Because it involves far more than just pride and the settling of scores between two knights. (19/12/2021)

Cleverly written and masterfully made reconstruction of the last ever trial by combat between chevaliers of Medieval France. Wonderful dialogs and various points of view of the three main protagonists build up the atmosphere gradually, culminating in the final punch-up. The intense, bloody duel is the crowning glory of this exquisite acting recital delivered by Damon, Driver and Jodie Comer too. Similarly, Affleck greatly enjoys his debauched nobleman. Scott quite possibly came up with the movie of the year. P.S.: And once again, a great soundtrack from Harry Gregson-Williams. CONFESS!!! (05/12/2021)

I would give I don't know what to be a part of a Ridley Scott shoot and get a glimpse of his art, his films look so real. One long camera shot captures the mood of the entire Middle Ages – a cathedral under construction, a stone bridge with a dirt road, huts by the river with boats floating on it, a peasant with an ox team, and behind him a cohort of soldiers on horseback, cattle behind a fence, dirty pigs wallowing in the mud, mangy dogs running around, and all that brown-tinted medieval gloom; beautiful. And then there's the story, which could be cheaply flushed down the drain as a politically correct me-too tale, but it's not. It is a powerful story about the strength of a woman who fights for her honour despite the threat of cruel death by burning. And at the end, it cuts to what is probably the best jousting I've seen in the cinema, even considering they so rarely appear in films. Jodie Comer is superb, and the guys are overshadowed by Adam Driver, he's a stud. And Ridley, once it's over, it's gonna hurt. (24/10/2021)