Jim Caviezel's sweet revenge The Count of Monte Cristo is no classic.

Sukanya Verma

Classics never go out of style. The charm of these stories has fascinated readers for decades and continues to regale viewers in cinematic adaptations as well.

The legendary works of Alexander Dumas (The Three Musketeers, The Man In The Iron Mask, The Count of Monte Cristo) have been translated into films, trying to capture Dumas' rich imagination, sardonic sense of humor and thrilling sense of adventure.

The Count Of Monte Cristo is about an innocuous young man Edmond Dantes (Jim Caviezel), who has a strong faith in God. He is all set to marry his sweetheart Mercedes (Dagmara Dominiczyk), when his childhood friend Fernand Mondego (Guy Pearce) deceives him.

Fernand conspires with magistrate Villefort (James Frain) and Dantes is falsely charged with treason. A helpless Dantes finds himself in the infamous prison of Chateau D'lf with vicious warden Dorleac (Michael Wincott).

After years of neglect and whipping, the badly bruised and battered Dantes' belief in God fades away. Enter Abbe Faria (Richard Harris), an old prison inmate who not only helps Dantes in escape but also educates him in economics, science, mathematics and the art of fencing. Thirteen years later, Dantes escapes.

Freed from the torturous grip of Chateau D'lf, Dantes undergoes a series of adventures as he bumps into pirates and smugglers. Yet, revenge to all those who betrayed him is the only thing on his mind. He unearths a treasure, buys a mansion, labels himself the Count of Monte Cristo and seeks his enemies. Needless to say, justice prevails.

Kevin Reynold's version of The Count Of Monte Cristo succeeds in recreating the aura of a bygone era. However, the script lacks profundity and fails to capture Dantes' trauma. The struggle comes across as too simple, the change (to Count Monte Cristo) too easy and the script too convenient.

Unlike the book, where Dantes and Mondego barely knew each other, in the film they have been shown as childhood bum chums.

The performances range from loud to subtle. Jim Caviezel (The Thin Red Line, Frequency, Angel Eyes) in the stellar role is perfect. He switches effortlessly from the grave, earthy prisoner in the first half to an enigmatic, glamourous Count in the second half of the film.

His fierce counterpart Guy Pearce (LA Confidential, Memento) is unbelievably irksome. He brings out a comic book villain-like character to his performance that makes him tailor-made for Spider-Man but overbearing in a classic.

Newcomer Dagmara Dominiczyk looks stunning but her whining dialogue delivery is no music to your ears. The endearing Professor Dumbledore of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone Richard Harris is simply delectable as the experienced Abbe Faria.

Shot in postcard locations of Ireland by cinematographer Andrew Dunn, photography is certainly one of the highlights of this classic. Alas, the film is no classic in its own right.