About the film (courtesy of 20th Century Studios):
Based on actual events, the film unravels long-held assumptions about France’s last sanctioned duel between Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver), two friends turned bitter rivals. When Carrouges’ wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer), is viciously assaulted by Le Gris, a charge he denies, she refuses to stay silent, stepping forward to accuse her attacker, an act of bravery and defiance that puts her life in jeopardy. The ensuing trial by combat, a grueling duel to the death, places the fate of all three in God’s hands.
Director Ridley Scott’s career has spanned more than four decades, and as you may expect from someone with so many bodies of works, tendencies are noticed. His latest film, The Last Duel, follows right along in an a very much expected path. This is not to brand this film as good or bad due to a familiar feel, it’s just meant for observation. A wildcard to this feature is that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are not only featured actors, they are also two of the producers, which probably means that potentially we might get an interesting mix of style and vision.
The Last Duel is a 150 minute movie with approximately 100 minutes of “fresh” material that isn’t recycled and repackaged. To better explain the previous sentence, this plot is broken up into three chapters to give different recollections or perspectives of events that occur. While this method can be effective (several Quentin Tarantino films are good examples), patience can wear thin if it isn’t done correctly. The bones of story based on actual history gives it “good bones” so, thankfully, it doesn’t just fall apart and unravel.
The casting in The Last Duel is a gamble because those that see this might have a a difficult time seeing Matt Damon and Ben Affleck share the screen while not being buddy-buddy or even really light-hearted. The tone of this film is serious and somewhat dark, so seeing these actors TOGETHER in a historical drama may feel slightly alien (that one’s for you, Ridley Scott). It’s not to say that either have issues pulling off a more dramatic role because both have done it previously, but it would akin to bringing in Eddie Murphy to star with Chris Rock in Spiral (2021), you’d be waiting for some silly banter keep popping up.
Adam Driver is no stranger to more dramatic roles and it’s probably the reason that I like his performance more than the other two. He just sells it a little more. And Jodie Comer does a good job portraying the catalyst for all of the drama that is to come. The other observation that I have as far as the acting goes is in regards to Alex Lawther who plays King Charles VI. I don’t know if this was intended or not, but King Charles VI’s mannerisms, actions and persona all reminded me of Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus from Gladiator (2000). Maybe one was the inspiration for the other, I don’t know.
The costumes, scenery and fight sequences are all solidly captured and add to the enjoyment factor of The Last Duel. But, pack your patience as things unfold because the repetition might make this a little difficult to grasp onto. With Scott taking the “there are three sides to every story: your side, my side, and the truth” approach, you might feel it’s déjà vu all over again. There are some moments of graphic violence as well as rape so just know that this film definitely earns its R-rating.
You can see The Last Duel only in theaters and come to your own conclusions.
