Who's
In It: Milla Jovovich Who Directed It: Luc Besson
Year
of release: 1999
Messenger: The Story Of Joan Of Arc (1999)
Movie Review Reviewed by: Adam
Mast, Zboneman.com
Milla
Jovavich stars as the legendary martyr in this film from visionary Luc Besson
(Fifth Element and La Femme Nikita).
Bessor
tells this story with a lot of scope, but not much heart. The sets are big, the
costumes are stunning, and the battle sequences are enormous, but Messenger lacks
an emotional center. It's sort of a disjointed, low rent version of Braveheart.
Besson
also takes liberties with the story and tries to put an all too 90s twist on this
familiar subject matter.
Braveheart
worked because it made you feel like you were witnessing the birth of a legend.
Messenger just doesn't have that. It's just a big, hollow mess with pretty scenery.
Even the performances are somewhat lackluster.
Jovovich
looks the part but can't seem to embody the spirit of this well known enigma in
history. Even John Malkovich seems to be bored.
Messenger
suffers from the same fate as Besson's The Fifth Element. He's so concerned with
the look of the picture, that he forgets all about the story he is telling.
The
made for T.V. movie with Leelee Sobieski was much better.
