Stars: David O'Hara, Tiffany Knight, Sophia Myles, Jaime King, Bronagh Gallagher, James Franco, Rufus Sewell, Lucy Russell

Director: Kevin Reynolds

Summary: An English warrior in medieval England falls in love with a beautiful Irish princess, an event which leads to conflict among the various tribes of England.

A modern retelling of the enduring Celtic legend. Director Kevin Reynolds (WATERWORLD) delivers a memorable, good-looking version of the legend, which has remained a quintessential love story throughout the centuries. Ridley Scott makes his presence felt as executive producer, with the story unfolding on an epic scale set in medieval England. The English live under the iron rule of the Irish, and the young Tristan's parents are working to unite the tribes of England against their oppressors. When they are murdered by Irish infiltrators, Tristan is rescued by Lord Marke (Rufus Sewell, HELEN OF TROY), in whose kingdom he is raised as a son. Tristan (James Franco, SPIDER-MAN 2) grows up to be a valiant warrior and noble knight, and when he is felled in battle he is given a king's memorial, sent to sea in a boat that washes up on Irish shores. There, Tristan is revived and healed in secret by the beautiful Princess Isolde (Sophia Myles), who at the insistence of her handmaiden doesn't tell Tristan her real name. The two beautiful young people inevitably fall in love, but their passion is cut short when Tristan is forced to flee home to England. Tristan eventually returns to Ireland to compete on Marke's behalf in a tournament for the Princess's hand in marriage, and only when he wins does he realise his error when he learns the Princess's true identity. Thus Isolde returns as Marke's bride, and, unable to deny their passion, the lovers take up a treacherous affair behind Marke's back. As Marke's enemies begin to suspect, they devise a plan to use Tristan's betrayal to break up the tenuous alliance between the English tribes.

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Reviewed by: davybozal24-7
Posted on September 11, 2006 8:38 AM

Great swashbuckling adventure set between Cornwall and Ireland in Medieval times when love, honour, integrity and sometimes a wee bit of treachery thrown in for good measure give this fine film with some relatively unknown players a Gothic feel and you just know that like the movie Excalibur, it will all end in tears ! James Franco plays Tristan a young warrior knight who falls in love with Isolde ( Sophia Myles ) who is betrothed to King Mark of Cornwall
in return for an alliance with the Irish court. But all is not what it seems as Irish treachery still lurks underneath !

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Luscious cinematography and even more luscious stars make Tristan & Isolde a feast for the eyes. Adapted from the medieval love story, the movie begins with with young Tristan (played as a child by Thomas Sangster, Love Actually) as he sees his parents killed by the tyrannical Irish, who ruled over a fractured Britain after the Roman occupation. Taken in by Marke (Rufus Sewell, Dark City), who rules one of the British tribes, Tristan (James Franco, Spider-Man) grows up to be a young prince and a mighty warrior--and when he's believed slain in battle, he's given a royal funeral, which sends him out sea in a burning boat. But the fire goes out and Tristan washes ashore on Ireland, where Isolde (Sophia Myles, Art School Confidential), the daughter of the Irish king, nurses him back to health. Being a lovely pair of young folk bursting with hormones, they fall madly in love... and set in motion a tragic tale that's lasted for centuries in many variations. Some reviewers have criticised Tristan & Isolde for deviating from the most common classical version, but the movie's storyline--though certainly altered to appeal to modern audiences--is fairly strong. Myles and especially Sewell turn in strong performances; Franco, however, though surprisingly persuasive as a warrior, never burns as a lover. Nonetheless, the loving shots of Franco's muscular physique will make this a must-have for his fans. --Bret Fetzer

Aspect Ratio:	1.85 Anamorphic Wide Screen, 16:9
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Producers' Commentary,, Writer's Commentary,, Making Of TRISTAN & ISOLDE,, 'We Belong Together' Music Video,, Image Galleries,, Inside Look Featurettes - THANK YOU FOR SMOKING and CONFETTI
Year:	2006
Release Date:	September 11, 2006
Runtime:	125 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	2867001000
Keywords:	Action, Historical, Tristan, Isolde, Adventure
Genre:	Action/Adventure