This is a beautifully filmed swashbuckling movie. The cast is magnificient although Fabrice Lucchini's Gonzague doesn't come across as particularly evil; more cynical than evil. Vincent Perez is superb and Daniel Auteil gives a good performance. To me the whole film was let down by a storyline that was far too predictable and so the whole movie just sauntered along and, despite all it's inherent quality, ultimately felt somewhat flat.
