Don't let their verbal animosity fool you. King Henry and Queen Eleanor do indeed love each other, or at least the challenge of hating each other, that kind that contains a thin line of love involved. Perfectly cast in the parts originated by Robert Preston and Rosemary Harris and immortalized onscreen by Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn, Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close tackle their parts as if they were Lord and Lady MacBeth (Maurice Evans and Judith Anderson) and Emperor Augustus and Empress Livia (Brian Blessed and Sian Phillips), with Phillips once having played Eleanor on stage in London. They are the power couple of the 12th century, even if she has been banished to her own castle, only released for holidays and pageants.
The game of thrones they play is a deadly one, with Eleanor admitting that she really doesn't like her children, especially Prince John (Rafe Spall) whom history has proven to be probably England's most hated King. Heir Richard (Andrew Howard) has his share of secrets, while middle son Geoffrey (John Light) is perhaps the most capable of being king, his strength and idealism at odds with the weaknesses and amorality of the rest of the family. But he's a subtle schemer too, not as blatant as his mother and youngest brother, aware of everyone's secrets and keeping them secret...for now.
Then there's surrogate daughter Julia Vysotskaya as Alais who is the much younger mistress to the man who practically raised her, beloved to Eleanor who seems to understand what led to this sick twist, and the very handsome Jonathan Rhys Meyers as King Philip of France, son of Eleanor's first husband, having a secret love for Richard, well...one sided for one of them. A family with its ups and downs, maybe not ideal, but fascinating. It's ironic that playwright/screenwriter James Goldman also wrote the musical "Follies", because that describes this delightfully messed up family. Director Andrei Konchalovsky creates a stunning TV version of the play that expands the story just a bit to give additional development to Eleanor. Certainly one of the best TV remakes of a big screen classic ever made, Shakespearean in tragedy yet ironically funny and loving.
The game of thrones they play is a deadly one, with Eleanor admitting that she really doesn't like her children, especially Prince John (Rafe Spall) whom history has proven to be probably England's most hated King. Heir Richard (Andrew Howard) has his share of secrets, while middle son Geoffrey (John Light) is perhaps the most capable of being king, his strength and idealism at odds with the weaknesses and amorality of the rest of the family. But he's a subtle schemer too, not as blatant as his mother and youngest brother, aware of everyone's secrets and keeping them secret...for now.
Then there's surrogate daughter Julia Vysotskaya as Alais who is the much younger mistress to the man who practically raised her, beloved to Eleanor who seems to understand what led to this sick twist, and the very handsome Jonathan Rhys Meyers as King Philip of France, son of Eleanor's first husband, having a secret love for Richard, well...one sided for one of them. A family with its ups and downs, maybe not ideal, but fascinating. It's ironic that playwright/screenwriter James Goldman also wrote the musical "Follies", because that describes this delightfully messed up family. Director Andrei Konchalovsky creates a stunning TV version of the play that expands the story just a bit to give additional development to Eleanor. Certainly one of the best TV remakes of a big screen classic ever made, Shakespearean in tragedy yet ironically funny and loving.