Vary without deviating
After the first part of the diptych The Three Musketeersfocused on D’Artagnanthe team composed of the director Martin Bourboulon and the screenwriters Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte proposes again to The Three Musketeers: Milady. With, this time, the attention focused on the antagonist Milady de Winter (Eva Verde). The program is known and the structure expected since it is a direct sequel to the first film. But determined to further delight their audience, the authors developed what had worked The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnancorrected some points and made a change on a narrative level.
Let’s find it inside The Three Musketeers: Milady a strong point of The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan : generosity. It is impossible to deny the pleasure of seeing so much talent on the screen, in the creation of sets and costumes, as well as in those who occupy and wear them. The four actors who play the Musketeers do it very well. The charm of Aramis (Romain Duris), the humor of Porthos (Pio Marmaï), the torments of Athos (Vincent Cassel) and the triumphant youth of D’Artagnan (François Civil), form a single, irresistible character, shared in four very successful portraits. So, none of them will be left behind in this new adventure where everyone will cross swords and quips, and each will have their own intrigue: Porthos and Aramis share the same.
The four of them are not too many to try to stop the machinations of Milady, antagonist and protagonist of this second part. She carries out a personal revenge, against the one who once hanged her and also against all men, while actively participating in the plot that will overthrow the king (always perfect Louis Garrel).
Royal Eva Green
Actress Eva Green is unique in French cinema as almost all of her filmography was made under the direction of foreign directors. Her presence in the films The Three Musketeers it is all the more remarkable, as if he had brought a Hollywood light to it. A way to affirm that she is the one Most Valuable Player From Miladyand this on this point The Three Musketeers: Milady fulfills his contract. Eva Green seduces, manipulates, fights and rides horses, and her Milady is too attractive and disturbingfor even if she has her reasons, shine with her malice.
While D’Artagnan is the archetypal hero, Milady is the archetypal “villain”. Therefore, dedicating an entire film to the story’s antagonist requires the maximum possible participation from his interpreter, and Eva Green accepts the challenge perfectly.
Milady leads the story and dominates – almost – all the sequences in which she appears. So in order for the Musketeers to still get noticed, they have for them a fantastic infiltration and combat sequence in the port of La Rochelle, to unmask the traitors of the crown and repel an English assault. The highest feat of arms in the film, the corrections made by Martin Bourboulon can be seen better compared to the first film: the action is More readableand the colors brighter.
The Three Musketeers: a film for everyone, everyone for D’Artagnan
Looking for transitions
Without revealing its conclusion, we can argue that when the curtain falls The Three Musketeers: Milady It’s not the last Three Musketeers film. This isn’t a total surprise, since producer Dimitri Rassam had explained that he conceived it an MCU style franchise. No superheroes here but an ADCU (Cinematic universe of Alexandre Dumas) with its reckless adventures, its humanist values and its picturesque characters, between historical reality and pure fiction. A brilliant idea, which should be further developed with other characters. At least Porthos Aramis and Athos remain, who could therefore each have “their” film of him. Therefore The Three Musketeers: Milady appears, although satisfying and complete in itself, as a transition towards the continuation of a story that is far from over.
Paradoxically if Milady appears like a transition, the film is missing. In fact, on a narrative level, we move from one situation to another and from one character to another without any connection, through brutal ellipses, in time as in space. We feel this particularly with regards to Porthos and Aramis, who are engaged in something other than the main plot. Another example, the resolution of the relationship between D’Artagnan and Constance Bonacieux (Lyna Khoudri), of which severity it is not entirely successful, because it seems too isolated from the rest. In a certain sense each character is like in a film in itself, and this second part seems to have done that less identity compared to the first, with a conduct more generic.
Go early and well
However, we have fun and never get bored in front The Three Musketeers: Milady. And if this part does not have the freshness and unique character of D’Artagnan, this is because he no longer has to unmask the universe but must now start exploiting it. An operation that we imagine to be very ambitious, with this gut feeling that we can’t stop here. Because this casting is ideal, because the production is very careful, because everything that is proposed works overall. D’Artagnan he unfolded the map, and so Milady began his exploration.
In the way of its staging, while timeliness, the authors of this diptych do it quickly and, for the moment, well. But so quickly that, upon reflection, we would have appreciated taking a little more time. The time of Milady’s murderous resentment, the time of D’Artagnan’s pain, the time of Athos’ regrets… As if it were necessary, while the fireworks of the first film barely went out, send this one to think about Act III. But responsible for both the closure of a diptych and the explicit opening of a franchise, The Three Musketeers: Milady therefore inherits a mission with a complex dual objective, in the busy calendar of the ADCU which also includes the release in 2024 of The Count of Monte Cristo. Given the difficulty of the task, The Three Musketeers: Milady comes out with honors.
The Three Musketeers: Milady by Martin Bourboulon, in theaters from December 13, 2023. Above is the trailer. Find all our trailers here.
Source: Cine Serie
Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.
