First Knight

Directed by Jerry Zucker, First Knight follows Richard Gere’s Lancelot as he falls for Guinevere (Julia Ormond) in spite of her approaching nuptials to Sean Connery’s King Arthur. It’s appealing subject matter that’s employed to watchable yet distinctly overlong effect by Zucker, as the filmmaker, armed with a screenplay by William Nicholson, delivers a slow-moving historical drama that’s generally only engrossing in fits and starts – with the hit-and-miss vibe compounded by an almost episodic midsection that feels like it could (and should) have been trimmed down significantly. There’s little doubt, then, that First Knight‘s mild success is due predominantly to its agreeable, lush atmosphere and proliferation of compelling performances, with, in terms of the latter, the three stars’ commanding work going a long way towards smoothing over the erratic narraive’s bumps and lulls. (This is particularly true of a few late-in-the-game sequences, including a terrific scene wherein Arthur confronts Lancelot over his feelings for Guinevere.) By the time the satisfying third act rolls around, which boasts an admittedly stirring battle interlude, First Knight has cemented its place as a good (but not great) endeavor that probably should’ve topped out at around 100 minutes. (There is, for example, a rescue-focused digression that could’ve been completely excised.)

**1/2 out of ****