Nostradamus

Most Nostradamus movies have him as an older man, a gloomy sort constantly predicting doom. This movie doesn't. Tcheky Karyo plays a very involved, interesting, and engaging version of Michel de Nostredame. I particularly liked the "vision" sequences, where he suddenly is dropped into the future to observe. I thought the part of the movie where he is confronted by the Inquisition was effective as well. The movie is flawed; it moves slowly, and finicky history buffs will find a few bumps. But overall this features a fine performance by Tcheky Karyo, beautiful photography and sets, and (I have to say) a sex scene with Julia Ormond that manages to be really hot and very tasteful at the same time. Summing up, "Nostradamus" has some strong performances, and a good (if slow) story. It kept my interest all the way through. I'm looking forward to getting it on DVD.

Tcheky Karyo, most familiar to American audiences as Bob, the enigmatic secret agent by way of Pygmalion in Luc Besson's NIKITA, has his first English-language lead role as the 16th-century physician and prophet Michel de Nostradame, who predicted various events occurring hundreds of years into the future.

Filmed in Romania, the film is a grim, grubby depiction of the renaissance era, but seldom reaches any moments of true insight into Nostradamus' life. Instead of taking a scholarly approach required of the subject, and concentrating on the man's vision, director Roger Christian (whose claim to fame is being the art director on Ridley ScottÕs ALIEN and directing the pretty much forgetable horror flick THE SENDER) panders to the lowest common denominator by focusing on his love life, and his run-ins with pugnacious Inquisitors.

When he is shown having his prophetic visions, most of the sequences are stilted and hokey. Only one prediction sequence has any power, the vision of the Black Rain, filmed in Copsa Mica, which the National Geographic Society once branded as the most polluted city in Europe.

Academy Award Winner F. Murray Abraham (AMADEUS), called in to save the acting day, does serviceable work as Scalinger, Nostradamus' sometime mentor, and Rutger Hauer is weird and funny as the Mystic Monk. Do I hear laughs? His turn is actually quite enjoyable, with his candle-lit hat and his demolition of the loathsome flagellates.

Karyo consorts with a bevy of bold European actresses, including Julia Ormond, Maia Morgenstern (THE OAK), and Assumpta Serna (MATADOR, THE FENCING MASTER.) He makes a noble effort with his calm, cultivated, at times endearing performance but he can't carry the whole film.

The movie eventually dissipates in the scarcity of its low budget, borrowing footage (ironically enough) from ALIENS for its final sequence which depicts space travel.

I personally thought that this movie was one of the better period pieces that are around. I felt that the actor playing Nostradamus did a wonderful job trying to portray a very illusive figure in our history books. Not many people (including historians) agree on what Nostradamus' personality type exactly was, so for this actor to portray anything at all is somewhat impressive to me... But, I do have to admit that the artistic attempts near the end (especially the vision of the future at the very last scene) were a bit much. I think that although it was important to get the point across that he was a visionary... that it should have been done throughout the piece... not just at two points throughout the whole film (during the carriage ride and at the end)... But, hat's off for trying!

One thing that I'm extremely interested in knowing is if his first wife (played by Julia Ormond) was really arrested by the Inquisition for having some Arabian Mysticism book... and if so... what was the title of the book!? I kept re-winding to get the name, but could not understand what she was saying! I keep trying to find any hint of this story online, but unfortunately have no luck... if anyone knows what book she supposedly had in the movie (or in real life), PLEASE e-mail me... I'm EXTREMELY interested in finding out about it!

C-ya, Stephen

NOSTRADAMUS, aka: Michel de Notre Dame (1503-1566) is an enigmatic, elusive character in history books and dusty old biographies. What this excellent biopic does is make him a real flesh-and-blood person with passions, desires, fears and dreams, and the extremely talented European actor Tcheky Karyo (The CORE, 2002) carries the film admirably from start to finish. He makes Nostradamus a living, breathing human being, a Christian Jew who is seeking to understand his place in the Universe and is an open-minded seeker of truth and a true scientist and physician, a dedicated man of science who invented the first chewable Vitamin C tablet made with rose hips as an effective cure for the Black Plague in its early stages. Of course there was no cure once the plague had spread in the body, so it must have been especially a cruel twist of fate for Michel when his dear first wife Marie and their two children died of the plague and he could not even save them! The casting, acting, production, story and script, and lush cinematography at fascinating locations (filmed in Romania and Europe in 1993) are all first-rate. All aspects of this production are extremely well-handled. Especially good are flawless performances by Julia Ormond, Assumpta Serna, Amanda Plummer, Rutger Hauer, Anthony Higgins, and F. Murray Abraham as the remarkable Dr. Julius Caesar Scalinger (1484-1558), a wealthy friend of both Nostradamus and Dr. Rabelais of Paris, the most noted physician of his day in Europe. The visual effects are a bit shaky here and there, but in all everything works well to a satisfying look into the life of one of the greatest mystery men of the early Renaissance. His prophecies are fascinating and penetrating, as a latter-day prophet. One thing I would love to know is where that beautiful mansion of Dr. Scalinger is, and more about it. If it was built during the life of Nostradamus, it certainly was one of the most modern structures in the world, in its day! An interesting site, with its ornate topiary garden.

The music score by Barrington Pheloung is captivating and should be available on CD. This film deserves a wide-screen DVD release! Classic epic drama, although episodic, with true European realism in its depiction of vignettes from Michel's love life, showing us the world as it really was in the plague-ridden Roman Catholic-dominated 16th Century Europe. Highly recommended, worth several viewings to take all of it in.

I watched this movie in 1998 and would like to know whether this movie told exactly about his life. Although i never read the prophecy of Nostradamus but i am amazed that he can know that there will be three world war. The fact is there were two already and the third one, we still can't judge it by ourselves. What i have to say is an excellent movie with huge casts and it has been narrated carefully by the writer and producer. Why not a remake? Will that be better?