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PAPILLON (2018)
Director: Michael Noer Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Rami Malek, Roland Møller, Tommy Flanagan, Michael Socha, Ian Beattie, Yorick van Wageningen, Eve Hewson MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 2:13 Release Date: 8/24/18 |
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Capsule review by Mark Dujsik | August 23, 2018 Questions of authenticity aside, Henri Charrière's tale of imprisonment at and escape from a penal colony in French Guiana is a hell of a story. Papillon is the second film adaptation of Charrière's best-selling book of the same name, as well as a direct remake of director Franklin J. Schaffner's successful 1973 cinematic adaptation of that book, written by Dalton Trumbo and Lorenzo Semple Jr. All of this puts quite a bit of pressure on screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski and director Michael Noer—not to mention actors Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek, who play characters who were first portrayed by no less than Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. Those who have seen the first adaptation know exactly what they're getting from this story, so the central question is whether or not the filmmakers and actors have brought anything new, noteworthy, or unique to this version. To a degree, they have. Primarily, this adaptation feels a bit more streamlined, omitting a lot of the first film's touches of local color, casting aside a few of the obstacles, and placing the back story at the front, instead of revealing it as the prison narrative unfolds. For those unfamiliar, Henri (Hunnam), nicknamed "Papillon" for his butterfly tattoo, is convicted of a murder in Paris. After receiving a life sentence at a South American prison colony, he plans to escape. The money for the enterprise will come from Louis Dega (Malek), an infamous counterfeiter who needs Papillon's protection. The friendship between the two men is what most people remember from the first film, even though it seemed of secondary importance to the film's depiction of the horrific conditions at the colony and within its surroundings. Guzikowski's screenplay focuses almost exclusively on that relationship, even when the two men are separated by solitary confinement. Hunnam conveys the strength of Papillon's spirit (The lengthy, mostly silent sequence in solitary is really fine work from the actor), and Malek is quite good as the meek, cunning man who needs to use his wits to survive. No one here is trying to outdo what the '73 film brought to the table, even though some of the story and character beats come from it. Papillon would rather offer its own interpretation of Charrière's story, and in its depiction of a deep and transformative bond formed out of strife, the film is a fine complement for its predecessor. Copyright © 2018 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
Buy Related Products Buy the Book [Papillon] (Kindle Edition)
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