Victory

The film starts off with a hint of sultry islands and sultry nights in the South Seas and I was planning on liking it, but about one third of the way through most of the characters became unintelligible. If I could only make out what they said, it might have been a good movie. I ran the volume all the way up and all I got was British mumbles even when I rolled the tape back to try to catch what they were saying.

What I liked the most about this movie is that it was subtle. Nothing was pushed too far, the realistic acting and minimal melodrama made this movie very plausible, watchable and actually made you more in tune to the story, setting and characters in their feelings, where as some movies pour it on too much.

"Victory" by Conrad is probably my favorite book of all time. So when I saw the bad reviews on IMDB, I was scared to watch it. It popped on cable the other day and I decided to give it a shot. First off, the casting is spectacular. Almost all characters are what I pictured in my mind reading the book. *ESPECIALLY* Sam Neill as Mr. Jones. I'm not sure why someone was complaining about the cinematography. It's not epic or anything, but it isn't bad. Set layouts were great as well, just as I had pictured from the book. Acting is great throughout. I'm not sure if one would like it though unless they are a fan of the book or a Conrad fan. It is a bit different. It is certainly not a Friday night joe-six pack with a pizza movie. But I thought it was great.

I've loved most Willem Dafoe films. Sam Neill was a joy in "Reilly, Ace of Spies" and "The Hunt for Red October". Irene Jacob is one of the most alluring and talented women in movies, magnificent in Kieslowski's film "Trois Colours-Red"--and good in "US Marshalls". Simon Callow was hilarious as the "Master of the Revels" in "Shakespeare in Love".

Alas, in "Victory", the four leads don't have the the screenplays and directors from their better movies. They become too wooden, one-dimensional, and more like caricatures rather than fleshed out characters.

The story may be based on the work of the late, great Joseph Conrad, but he was unavailable to improve the movie's dialog and pacing. Had Shakespeare been alive, he'd have loved "Shakespeare in Love". Would Conrd have loved "Victory"? I doubt it--except for the Java Sea scenery.

If you watch, ask yourself why it is called "Victory". Except for a minor line of dialog, does the title have anything to do with the movie?

I hope the book reads better than this film plays, because the screenplay seems pretty weak. Willem Dafoe in a restrained performance, would be the only reason to endure 99 tedious minutes of this. While the 1913 period south seas locations are reproduced satisfactorily, the constant narration and wooden performances sink it. There is some nice tropical island scenery, but the entire cat and mouse game played by Dafoe, Sam Neill, Rufus Sewell, and Irene Jacob, is never believable. Very talky at times, everything just sort of drifts along to an extremely underwhelming conclusion. Very forgettable, and not recommended, even for Willem Dafoe fans. - MERK