I thought that Tristan & Isolde was an excellent film. I have always enjoyed films set in the middle ages, so I was more than happy to pick this film up for my wife and I to view. Based on the trailers, I knew this story was suppose to be a romance similar to Romeo and Juliet, but I didnt expect it to captivate me like it did. Personally, I thought that Tristan and Isolde was ten times better than the Romeo & Juliet movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio, that was released exactly ten years ago.

What made this film great was the actor/actress chosen to play Tristan and Isolde. The characters were completely believable. James Franco and Sophia Myles did an excellent job convincing me that their love for one another was true. The chemistry between them was amazing. I was caught up in their love affair from the moment they met each other.

The scenes were also very beautiful and tranquil. It was easy to get lost in the beauty of Ireland and Britain. That definately helped set the pace for our love story between two individuals whose nations were warring against each other.

The battles and conflicts were also very exciting, but it was directed tastefully enough that the story focused more on the love affair rather than the war between the two nations. I thought that was very important when it came to to the theme of this film.

This is definately a movie to watch with your significant other or with a bunch of your girlfriends. I caught myself shedding a couple of tears as well as smiling at the television as the movie progressed. This film is definately a top notch love story.

Synopsis:

One of the great stories of doomed love is given a new screen interpretation in this historical drama. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, King Donnchadh of Ireland has become the de facto ruler of England, but one of his underlings, Lord Marke, dreams of uniting British forces with an eye toward self-rule. One of Marke’s most valuable allies is Tristan, Marke’s protégé, who has become a brave warrior since he was rescued by the lord after his parents were murdered by Irish forces during a battle. While Marke and Tristan dream of banishing Ireland’s presence in England, Tristan has a secret he’s been hiding from Marke — after suffering serious wounds during a hard-fought battle, he was rescued and nursed back to health by Isolde, King Donnchadh’s daughter, and the two fell deeply in love. But the couple were separated after Tristan returned to England, and when King Donnchadh attempts to quell the British uprising by staging a tournament among the nation’s greatest warriors, Tristan discovers to his horror that Isolde’s hand in marriage will be one of the prizes. Marke ends up winning the contest, but is Tristan capable of standing by and watching his friend marry the woman he loves for the good of his country? Tristan & Isolde was directed by Kevin Reynolds, and produced in part by Ridley Scott, who attempted to bring the story to the screen back in the 1970s.

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