Harlequin

seen a lot of stuff with robert powel in,but this has always been the one that stands out as his best to me.

Naturaly being 1980 its now an old and well used format but at time it was excellent,and even now i find it an enjoyable film.

The story is bought in gradualy but at a steady pace,the acting is enjoyable over all,and considering the lack of blood and guts it still holds its own as a decent spooky movie that when i was younger made me jump a few times and stayed in my mind for a good few months afterwards,not least because it was the sort of film everyone in my school talked about when saw it,and made other kids not having seen it want to!

A movie of wonder, magic, and intrigue, "Harlequin" or "Dark Forces" is a force to be reckoned with. At a birthday party, a boy named Alex(Mark Spain) who suffers from leukemia gets to meet a clown who entertains everyone. That night, a man named Gregory Wolfe(Robert Powell) enters the house and cures the son. Skeptics including the father and his political cronies would try anything to discredit the faith healer. Wolfe performed many feats that would mesmerize. Many would think that there are tricks behind his acts. But no one has ever been able to figure it out. This movie is about magic and political intrigue. What you see is a slight of hand. Being from Australia is something that I like to see. At least it's not a Mad Max film. Don't try to figure out the tricks in the film. Otherwise, you just might disappear! 3 out of 5 stars

Clearly not the greatest film ever made but very clear that a lot went into this to make it that little bit different. If it has a bit of a TV movie look to it that is because of the limited location shooting, much in the same rooms, and not because of the acting which is solid. Broderick Crawford holds his own, apparently with a little help from booze in between scenes, but David Hemmings and Robert Powell are very good indeed. I understand Hemmings also had a bit of a drink problem but it clearly didn't affect his acting here and as for Powell, I have never understood why he never made it so much bigger, maybe he got typecast as Jesus. There is much to enjoy here amid the magic and mayhem and with a convincing performance from the young boy and various shocks and surprises this is well worth a look. There, and I haven't even mentioned that it is Australian or that it is loosely based upon the story of Rasputin and the Czar!

I saw this film in my youth and after years of searching for it, finally taped it off the telly. Robert Powel is exceptional as the title character as is David Hemmings as the senator. There are a few films out there that can just bewitch you as you're watching them, The Wickerman being the best example, but this one comes very close. If you see this little gem airing on your TV in the wee small hours I urge you to tape it.

A faith healer who appears from nowhere suddenly cures the sick son of a profound government senator, whom the politicians wife falls under the mysterious healer's charm and the young boy grows attached to his company. The senator can't shake the idea that there's something strange about all of this, could it all be a hypnotic trick or is there something really supernatural going on here. Then you got the chief political adviser who's trying to rid the healer of power he holds over the senator and his family, because he wants to be the one who's in control of the senator.

Was it all an illusion? Who was playing whom? Did this go beyond reality, by making way for supernatural influences? Like you see there are so many question brought up here that are totally left unexplained, but this enigmatic factor of who, what and why makes for one curious, but oddly enchanting spectacle. The multi-layered story plays out like political fantasy where it throws around many different ideas and allegories into the blend, where nothing seems quite like what it is because of a real mystical edge that's given out by Powell's charismatic character Wolfe. As an exhilarating tale, it failed for me, but for a curiosity piece, it really did work. The plot's outline shares its similarities with the Rasputin account, but this film has gone with a contemporary take on the story. The story does become incredibly strange with certain circumstances and situations, in which you have to suspend your disbelief and plays around with psychological tension. The thick air of mystery that's planted in the film, you could say is like that of a jigsaw puzzle that's missing some important pieces to give it that truly satisfying feel. The complex script is heavy on its parallel theories and it very much comes across like a poetic riddle (that's most of Powell's lines anyway) with it parables and psychic jargon. It's a very talkative piece with little significant details and hints running throughout it very mischievous layout on who's really the manipulator and just what are everyone's true intentions.

The film, which was made in Australia, looks reasonably good, even though it had a modest budget to work with. By today's standards the appearance and even the context is somewhat dated. The special effects are reasonably modest, with the odd hokey effect, but I guess you just got to take it with a grain of salt. The mostly well devised FXs were well orchestrated in to the story, but it does go over-the-top in the third act were the uneven pacing makes way for some flamboyant magic tricks for the fight of control over the senator. At least they were spot on with it, but they do and as well as the costumes give it an underlining campy b-grade charm. The location setting was simply ravishing and the exterior of the senator's house (were it all mostly plays out) is given a grand feel. The glitzy cinematography was remarkably well handled with some showy moments and Brian May's tenderly spooky score had a stinging, but emotional rush too it. Director Simon Wincer manages to come up with some inspired, solid visuals and tiny pockets of heighten and exciting suspense. But some moments are half-baked and it has an climax that doesn't feel like it has paid off. You just feel like it's working up for something big. However it does fit in with its subtle moodiness.

The performances are very first-rate with an international cast on show. Robert Powell plays the healer, Wolfe and his piercing capabilities create such subtly mysterious imprint (good or evil?) that you can't help but be intrigued by. David Hemmings' underplayed performance as senator Nick Rast shows a real solidarity. Broderick Crawford superbly plays Doc Wheelan a greedy political leader who overlooks Senator Rast and when he's on screen his presence truly governs the film. Carmen Duncan as Sandra Rast simply shines in her feisty role and Mark Spain utterly fits the role of eerie young lad Alex Rast. I thought the chemistry of the relationships was well thought up and naturally suitable.

What is served up here is exceedingly ambiguous and different, but this creative project has more going for it then what actually meets the eye. It's far from flawless and it wasn't what I expecting that's for sure, but it does make for an interesting viewing.