BlazeLime Strong and Moving!

Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Dale Haufrect "The Reckoning is a 14th century tale of woe. It is a film from 2002 and it is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director i is Paul McGuigan. And the writers include Barry Unsworth (novel) and Mark Mills (Screenplay). The cast includes Paul Bettany, Marian Aguilera, Trevor Steechman, Simon McBurney, Tom Handy, Brian Cox, Willem Dafoe, Gina McKee, Stuart Wells, Vincent Cassel, Elvira Minguez, Richard Durden, Ewen Bremner, Mark Benton, Hamish McColl, Mathew Macfadyen, Luke de Woolfson, Nall Buggy, Julian Barnatt, Luisa Requena Baron, Pedro Martinez De Dioni, Tom Georgeson, Simon Pegg, Teresa Berganza Rafa Izuzkiza and Jose Luis Martinez Gutierez. The story revolves around a group of strolling actors who stumble upon a village in Midevil England. There is a play within a play and a murder plot, however, the cinematography is lacking as is the story. I gave it only 3 stars. Dale Haufrect

user-923-774441 The Reckoning was full of great actors, suspense and twists, yet when compared with the original book, 'Morality Play', it doesn't measure up. While there was more drama, the movie didn't remain true to the era it was supposed to be portraying. Even though it was interesting, there were bits of drama that made it much less enjoyable. The main dramatic element was the death of Nicholas at the end of the film. He died trying to do what was right, which was not the greatest ending to the film. There were many more differences between the movie and the book, and while those differences made the film more entertaining, it seemed as if it lost a bit of it's credibility. A big change that shouldn't have been made toward the end of the movie, was when Sarah, (Margaret in the book), was allowed to become part of the ending play. In the book, she was not even allowed to vote on group decisions, let alone be part of a play. This section of the movie wasn't true to the book, it was also untrue to the customs of the Middle Ages. Women were not often valued enough in society to be given formal places in plays or groups. The Reckoning didn't focus enough on the some of the issues that were defining factors of the Middle Ages. One scene actually showed people worried about the plague, which was a huge problem then, but wasn't a significant focus for the rest of the movie. With more focus on the plague, it would have seemed as if it was actually taking place in the Middle Ages. Christianity was a big focus in the book, but not as much in the movie. The majority of people in that era were Christian, yet there was only one main scene that brought Christianity into action. There should have been more time spent focusing on this, as Christianity was one of the biggest influences in that society. It also should have spent more time on describing the corruption of the Church that was occurring. There were priests and monks breaking vows left and right, which seemed to be semi-acceptable! Nicholas admitted practicing adultery, which was laughed off by the players. In the book, there was a priest that had clearly broken his vows, and everyone in the group seemed accepting of his actions. The corruption of the Church is a main component of this story, and in the film it wasn't shown to the extent it could have been. When comparing the book to the movie, the story line and the themes of the book were more effectively articulated, because it remained true to societal norms of the Middle Ages. The book seemed to have a better understanding of what it was supposed to be portraying. It weaved the interesting story lines through the historically accurate Middle Aged world the author had created. It's blend of fiction and the true Middle Ages made the book balanced and enjoyable. The movie focused more on the dramatic elements than the accurate history, which, in turn, took away from the truthfulness of The Reckoning. Overall, I would rate this movie a 6 out of 10, because it was entertaining and intriguing, but lacked historical accuracy.

Moonshade I've seen this movie many times since buying it, and finally decided to comment. I've seen messages on the boards saying that some of the dates are wrong. I'm terrible with dates so, this may be true, I couldn't tell you. Of course, if I cared, I could look it up. The fact is, I don't. The reason I don't, is because the rest of the movie is so incredible. Okay, the murder mystery may be a bit simple and easy to figure out. But, the setting is wonderful; the town and people look like they've lived long, hard lives. The cinematography is stunning, too; there are many scenes that, while they take place in a dirty, disgusting place are still beautiful. Then, there's the acting. The troupe are wonderful, and Dafoe is a delight to watch, as always. But, Paul Bettany steals the show. He gave a masterful performance as a flawed priest and a flawed man, trying to make amends and put things right. The subtle emotions, the lines he delivers, especially during the last morality "play," are given thought and weight. Yes, there are flaws, but nothing is perfect.

Paul Creeden I suppose there is an audience for a movie like this in an age when educated people boldly deny evolution as a valid scientific theory in favor of Biblical creationism. However, I cringed throughout. The vastness of wasted talent in this movie is the only impressive thing about it. All of them stumbling through its muddled morality mush of pseudo-Christian, homophobic, anarchical nonsense, set in a Medieval period which could not have possibly hosted these events. It would have been more believable if it had been staged on a distant planet with old Star Trek TV sets. Paul Bettany manages to escape with a small amount of dignity by delivering his corny speeches with Shakespearean zeal and by dying quite well. Vincent Cassel has no aptitude as a 1950s-style homosexual villain. It seemed his heart just wasn't in it to his credit. Another turkey that somehow got off the ground in a world where many swans never get their wings.