The Triumph of Love

i loved this movie. it was fun, humorous, entertaining, and witty. the play was first performed in 1732 but i think the plot meets (and excels) today's standards. Mira Sorvino did a great job as did all of the other cast members.

if you liked Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" or any Shakespearean style plots of mistaken identity, deception, lies, love, comedic betrayal, and that sort of thing, you will enjoy this movie.

(of course it is supposed to take place in France, but as everyone knows, they apparently all speak with English accents there. ha ha.)

I really wanted to like "Triumph of Love;" several of the elements, in fact, might be organized into a film I could enjoy. There's the elegant period sets and costumes, the gender-bending undertones, a couple comic servants, and Ben Kingsley and Fiona Shaw giving fine performances as a pair of emotion-disdaining intellectuals who become undone by their own vanity. But "Triumph of Love," sadly, proves to be all promise and very little payoff.

Mira Sorvino is the princess of an unspecified (and presumably fictitious) country, who infiltrates the house of her political enemies disguised as a man. Her purpose is twofold: to right the wrongs wrought by her father on true heir to the throne Agis (Jay Rodan), and to win Agis' heart, which has been taught to disdain love by his guardians Hermocrates (Kingsley) and Leontine (Shaw). Since nobody can do anything the easy way in a story like this, Sorvino's character works towards her ends by wooing Leontine (who thinks she's a guy), Hermocrates, and Agis (both of whom are in on her ruse) at the same time. That's the setup; unfortunately, it's also the majority of the film. Comedy of this sort usually hits its stride when complications entangle the protagonist's original design. Here, the difficulties are introduced to late and resolved too quickly for us to care. Meanwhile, a handful of servants are thrown into the plot and then given almost nothing to do either within or apart from it.

Nor does director Clare Peploe help her case much. Several scenes consist of choppy, distracting cuts--and not even cuts from different angles, but cuts from the same angle, giving the impression of a bargain-basement film cobbled together with the only pieces of film that were usable. Images of a "modern-day" audience peeking in on the action add nothing to the procedings, and are introduced in such a way as to feel like an intrusion on the film, rather than a part of it.

For a much richer experience in this genre, I recommend the recent adaptation of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." Like "Triumph of Love," it features a cross-dressing heroine, romantic entanglements and misunderstandings, comical servants, and a good turn by Ben Kingsley in a supporting role. But it also contains infectuous life and energy and a story that dances merrily on its way rather than walking sedately. Also Imogen Stubbs, as the gender-defying central character, makes a much more convincing man than Mira Sorvino.

The commentators so far seem to belong to one of two camps; those who hated the picture for what it is and those who liked, but did not love it, because of what it was not. I think both groups are missing the point. You simply have to accept the conventions of this type of story, just as you do when you read/watch Shakespeare's plays. Do that and you will have a wonderful time with this film. I thoroughly enjoyed it; it was witty, fast paced, sexy, the acting was fantastic (especially Kingsley though Sorvino is no slouch)etc. etc. etc. etc. Just let go and let it sweep over you. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

I wasn't expecting anything quite this silly when everything looked so sophisticated. Surely not SIR Ben Kingsley? Well, he gives his usual fine dignified performance and refuses to be anything other than sophisticated, and yet as the farce becomes sillier, so does he.

I'm not that familiar with Mira Sorvino but she does a wonderful job here. And yet she's too pretty and has too nice a voice to be convincing as a man. Somehow she does fool some of the characters.

Fiona Shaw also does a good job as a scientist who thinks she is over the hill and flattered to be told otherwise. Her experiments are interesting to watch, especially later when she is turning cranks quickly and the editing makes it look like everything is happening quickly.

Rachael Serling has a supporting role also pretending to be male. She manages to be more convincing, because she looks like Fred Savage, and has a voice more like a man. And it is funny to watch her with Harlequin the servant.

Luis Molteni is a rough-looking and funny gardener. While we know it's not his work, the place looks gorgeous. I kept thinking of Brookgreen Gardens near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The house is also fabulous.

There is so much deception one wonders how the princess will get out her situation. Somehow it all works out, but it's hilarious when no one knows the whole truth. And of course through most of the movie, only Corine knows she is the princess, because the princess is hated.

The costumes are great. People dressed so well in the 18th century.

I'm not sure why, but I didn't feel quite satisfied, but I mostly liked everything.

Why was there an audience? They showed up occasionally for no reason.

A common complaint with imdb reviews was the editing. I noticed at the start that the movie was edited to fit the time allotted. I blamed the sloppy editing on that, but now I wonder. Did all these imdb reviewers see a version edited to fit the time allotted, or was the editing really that sloppy? Still, that was the main weakness.

Is this family friendly? Perhaps. In the version I saw, Agis is naked but blurred. And of course the women participating in the deception are shown changing their clothes. Later, Agis gets to feel the princess' breasts to prove she is a woman. Other than that, there may not be a problem for more permissive parents.

I mostly had a good time.

In college I studied Marivaux -- whose play this movie is based on -- so I have an understanding of the movie's context and characters. Given that, I found Triumph of Love to be rather enjoyable. But I don't recommend it for everyone. If you like Shakespeare in film or other cinematic adaptations of theater, you might well like this one. Mira Sorvino is, of course, lovely in the starring role(s).