Knight's Tale, A (DVD)

This 2001 film starring the late Heath Ledger is a curious mixture of a medieval tale of bravery and ambition and a modern romantic comedy. Ledger plays William Thatcher, a peasant squire whose master dies suddenly at the beginning of the film. William takes his master's place in a jousting tournament, and after a small victory, decides to disguise himself as a knight and take part in bigger tournaments to claim fame and fortune. What follows is sometimes funny, sometimes cringe-worthy, but ultimately an entertaining story, based loosely on 'The Canterbury Tales' by Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer is also a character in the film, played by Paul Bettany, represented ...  Read the complete review

I first saw A Knights Tale not long after it was released and loved the film from the start simply because it was something different. Since that first viewing I have continued to love this film and still enjoy watching it today. A Knights Tale is an action packed comic adventure set in the 14th century where heavy armour and sharp lances were all the rage. The story begins when the Knight for whom peasant squire William Thatcher works for dies in the middle of a jousting tournament. In a quickly thought up plan William, with the help of fellow squires Wat and Roland, breaks all the rules and passes himself off as a knight. The trio are soon taking ...  Read the complete review

William Thatcher, a lowly squire in medieval times, is give the opportunity to take on the identity of a knight when his master dies and he and his friends, Wat and Roland, are left with no meal ticket. When they meet Geoffrey Chaucer, a man who has fallen on hard times, he offers to forge documents to prove that William is a knight, so that he can enter jousting competitions to earn their keep. Passed off as Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein, William is very successful, and catches the attention of both Jocelyn, a lady of some consequence and Count Adhemar of Anjou, who is William's rival in both jousting and love. Will William prove himself to be a worthy knight? And will he ...  Read the complete review

Something nearly indefinable drew me to examine both the merits and flaws of this film after watching it and eventually pushed me into that final step of sharing my thoughts. I must admit, it seemed a strange choice to me when I finally relented and sat before the keyboard. First of all, there are already plenty of reviews on this film. I don't usually review a film if there are already 10 or more pieces on it. Also, unlike most films that I choose to review, it isn’t really a stunning work no matter what angle you look at it from. Indeed, ’tis a somewhat odd mix of entertainment. T’would have been easy to dismiss it with a wave of my hand ...  Read the complete review

I am the kind who will watch a film without previously knowing anything about it, love it, and then read 10 reviews slamming it. But then again, I can also read another 10 reviews supporting it. I, a consumer of films, have an opinion on a film. This is remarkable in itself. But this film I do need to write about. I have been and seen; I have bought the ticket and hit the wicket; done the deed unguaranteed. I went, I saw and I was conquered. On a nice sunny afternoon last Saturday and my husband and I decided to go to the cinema, taking my 15-year-old brother too. My brother was the one who actually suggested 'A Knight's Tale', stating, ...  Read the complete review