The Three Musketeers: Milady

This review may contain spoilers!

 

The Three Musketeers:Milady is the sequel to The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan and picks up with D'Artagnan searching for his lost-love, Constance, while France steadily moves to war waged against the Protestants. It will be up to the Musketeers to unveil the shadowy plot that has lead to war before the country is engulfed in a needless conflict.

 

This film continues on the story in an immediately thrilling manner, watching D'Artagnan's personal quest to find his love become embroiled with the mysterious Milady de Winter was the perfect hook back in. The politics of the war play quite interesting, with a number of the more mysterious or politically embroiled figures tilting the plot, strategizing or revealing allegiances you wouldn't expect. I loved seeing how the Musketeers factored into this plot, often being used as pawns out of duty and showcasing their incredible skill; while also standing out as the heroes capable of resolving the mystery around the origins of this war. Martin Bourboulon has crafted a series of films that use the classic 'ticking clock' well, setting our heroes hurtling across the country to unveil the true instigator of this conspiracy. I loved D'Artagnan's reckless hunt for Constance, a narrative that feels consuming, makes him new enemies and holds a decent tragic trajectory. I also felt this film was only enhanced with more Milady de Winter, a character whose existence ruins Athos and D'Artagnan in very different ways. De Winter is a more interesting threat than one might expect and lends a very wicked streak to this sequel. I also have to give honourable mention to Aramis and Porthos' sub-plot in which they try to find a suitable husband for Aramis' expecting sister; it is a hilarious storyline that gives some much required levity to this story.

 

I love how this film looks from start to finish; the camera is so primed to move, be that in an action sequence or a sudden dramatic moment. The camera feels really free and yet it doesn't for an instant lose sight of some of the bold landscapes, or more intimate close moments. The visual effects aren't plentiful, but they work, I loved the cannon tower scene and how the boats being attacked looked. The score for these films is also unmatched, Guillaume Roussel has been one of my favourites to listen to in cinemas this year.

 

François Civil, who played D'Artagnan, seems a lot more wild and urgent due to the nature of his quest in this one; I loved seeing Civil let D'Artagnan's reckless streak consume him. Vincent Cassel, who played Athos, has a very heavy air of guilt hovering over him; Cassel's role is constantly torn between his bonds to others and his higher sense of duty. Romain Duris, who played Aramis, is very charismatic and captivates you with his showmanship; I found Duris' portrayal of his character's dogged hunt for a suitor for his sister to be entirely one of the funniest points in the film. Pio Marmaï, who played Porthos, is the comedic backbone of the Musketeers; the way he stumbles through trying to support Aramis leads to some of the best moments. Louis Garrel, who played King Louis XIII, is a severe figure at times who acts with some stronger finality in this feature; I do like that Garrel had more scenes to not lead a scene but partake in the levity of the dialogue. Vicky Krieps, who played Anne d'Autriche, is a great counterbalance to Garrel's temperamental role; Krieps serves as a grounding point and is more than up to the task. Lyna Khoudri, who played Constance Bonacieux, is a figure who is very tragically entangled with D'Artagnan and Milady; Khoudri finds the most goodly role of the cast and brings forth all the moral high notes you would expect. Eric Ruf, who played Le Cardinal de Richelieu, is a very interesting morally grey role; his big moment of confrontation with D'Artagnan had me on the edge of my seat. Marc Barbé, who played Capitaine de Tréville, remains an engaging stalwart leader of the Musketeers; his bravado in the siege scene is something noteworthy. Patrick Mille, who played Le comte de Chalais, is a figure who really shines with more screen time; Mille brings forth a real duplicitous snake of a role that adds well to the range of antagonists. Camille Rutherford, who played Mathilde, really fans the flames of comedy in her role; I also adored the chemistry she shared with Marmaï as they headed towards romance.

 

However, the best performance came from Eva Green, who played Milady. I am so happy Green really got to run with it in this iteration because she is so exceptional to watch. Milady de Winter feels like a caged, vicious animal at times, launching herself at foes with nothing but hatred and scorn in her eyes. She is a phenomenal manipulator, be that through trading emotive or seductive dialogue. Green has crafted a woman who was hurt and betrayed so much in her life, and when she found hurt and betrayal in the one she gave trust to, she hardened. This is a woman turned weapon. The character calls herself the Devil multiple times, and it's believable in many moments across the script. Eva Green plays an antagonist in this you cannot trust and love to hate.

 

I really couldn't stand the opening of this film, the long and lengthy flashback of key events from last film felt like the recap paired with a TV show. For a film watcher it set an offbeat when moving into the film. I was also quite surprised that the pace was slow given the push into conflict this time around, there wasn't always much of a hurry to push characters into their next moment of hardship or plot point, this pacing often felt like it took some of the punch out of what could have been an even stronger overarching narrative.

 

Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, who played Duc de Buckingham, is quite a reserved figure with little to give to the film; he has little presence for someone who is meant to be portraying a figure of political significance. Julien Frison, who played Gaston de France, is a bit too obvious as the major antagonist of the film; his wheedling demeanour means that he really doesn't hold the menace required for the big reveal. Ralph Amoussou, who played Hannibal, is quite an out-of-the-blue addition to the cast; Amoussou just sort of shows up in scenes, and he never slots in nicely across the film. Gabriel Almaer, who played Benjamin de la Fère, is probably one of my least favourite parts of this Musketeers series; I just don't genuinely believe the brotherly bond between him and Cassel. Ruben da Silva, who played Joseph, is not a strong young performer; this feels like a young kid still working it out and wasn't quite capable of fleshing out a whole character.    

Martin Bourboulon has crafted what Hollywood has lost with their blockbusters; these historical adventures are magnificent. I would give The Three Musketeers: Milady an 8/10.