12 June,2010 07:02 AM IST | | Tushar Joshi
Robin Hood
U/A; Action
Dir: Ridley Scott
Cast: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, William Hurt, Matthew Macfadyen, Mark Strong, Oscar Isaac, Lea Seydoux, and Max von Sydow
''
What's it about: There's something about the Ridley Scott-Russell Crowe pairing that makes all the projects they take up oscillate between two extremesu00a0-- really interesting or plain boring. This time around, Scott takes us way back to the legend of the 12th century Scottish hero. Folklore has it that Robin stole from the rich and gave to the poor. But that isn't the sole premise of Scott's drama. In fact, that's the last thing the movie addresses. In fact, the focus is more on how Robin Longstride (Crowe) becomes Robin Hood.u00a0 Along the way, he slaughters those who chose to tame him, falls in love and eventually becomes an outcast among his own.u00a0u00a0
What's hot: There's no denying that Scott is the master of creating larger-than-life moments. With Crowe in tow, he's quite at ease and the comfort level helps in creating a beautiful canvas. Battle scenes are well-choreographedu00a0-- from the opening scene right to the very end.u00a0 Close detail has been paid to create the right ambience with the costume designers and set decorators working in sync to create an alluring image of the 12th century.u00a0
What's not: It's not the subject but the matter that works against the film. Apart from the 130-odd minutes running time, the film suffers from long-drawn monologues with actors mumbling difficult-to-decipher dialogues. Since not all of us know the legend that well, the source material is easy to alter. Scott's version doesn't give Robin Hood any sense of direction or reason. Somehow, there are too many parallel stories and subplots happening that distract you from the heroic feats of our protagonist. There is a sense of rush and need to hurry things up, with many loose ends left unattended. Physically, Crowe doesn't look the part, his double chin and heavy demeanour work against the film. The Robin Hood we know is lean, easy on his feet, witty and charming. Cate Blanchett looks like she's playing an extra from the set of her own movie Elizabeth. There's no chemistry between the two.
What to do: Perhaps, Crowe and Scott suffered the same setback Leo and Scorcese did a week back. Maybe the team needs to take a break and work on something that lives up to the work they've done.
