Sometimes Double Features are planned out precisely. Sometimes they happen by happy accident. This week’s is a case of the latter. There was absolutely no planning behind this unintentional double feature, which I actually sat through this week, but it’s a happy accident because otherwise I don’t know what I’d pair together this week. Between doldrum DVD releases and uninteresting theatricals, there’s not a lot to work with right now.
As I mentioned in our article about a Dark City director’s cut, I only saw the Alex Proyas masterpiece earlier this week, under threat of castration for having worked at this site for so long without having seen it. As it so happened, it showed up from Netflix at the same time as A Knight’s Tale, which came out the in the summer of 2001, or as I like to call it, the worst summer for movies ever. It’s a shame I missed that one in theaters, because it isn’t half bad.
So how did those two films end up as a real double feature? They share one amazing actor: Rufus Sewell, and actually, by watching both films together, you get a real sense of Sewell’s ability and range as an actor. After all, he’s the protagonist in Dark City and the antagonist in Knight’s Tale.
To be honest, I’ve never thought much about Sewell, who, in recent years, sort of struck me as Clive Owen-light (although, as I was reminded, Sewell came first, so Owen is actually Rufus Sewell-heavy). Watching this double feature gave me a real appreciation for his ability to be sympathetic and sinister, sometimes at the same time.
Dark City
Comparisons between Dark City and The Matrix trilogy are inevitable. After all, both flicks are post-modernistic takes on a dark future where the world isn’t quite what it seems. While I absolutely adore The Matrix movies, I don’t think there has to be a choice between the two for which handles post-modern theory better. They are vastly different approaches to the subject material. Dark City, set in an unknown time, is actually a lot darker than the Wachowski brothers trilogy, and that crumbling atmosphere is gorgeous. Sewell plays the ultimate audience-surrogate as he wakes up completely unaware of who he is or what’s going on with the world around him. His lack of awareness drives him forward beyond levels most aware humans would go, asking questions nobody wants to answer. As he uncovers the truth about the Dark City, his humanity becomes astounding. Despite a wife that he may have never known before (played by the lovely Jennifer Connolly) and a traitorous human doctor whose allegiances are questionable (Kiefer Sutherland), Sewell shows compassion at a level Neo never achieved within The Matrix. It may give up before it completes a take on post-modern theory, but the movie is definitely something to think about.
A Knight’s Tale
Between all the other disasters that came out the summer of 2001 (Evolution, Tomb Raider among others), I passed Brian Helgeland’s mix of medieval setting and modern music by. Sewell is one of two big reasons to see this film, the other being Paul Bettany. While both actors are in supporting roles, the movie really comes alive through their performances. Sewell’s ruthless Count Adhemar sets the standard for what absolute shits nobility could be in this setting, making the audience question why Heath Ledger’s William would ever want to be a part of it. Bettany, on the other hand, is brilliant as Geoffrey Chaucer, with a performance that is made even better if you know about the real Chaucer and his writings. Actually, A Knight’s Tale is a movie defined more by its supporting cast (which also includes double feature favorite Alan Tudyk) than the leads of Ledger and Shannyn Sossamon. Personally, the use of contemporary music in a medieval setting didn’t bother me a bit. In fact, there are a few places where its use was even better than Baz Luhrman’s Moulin Rouge! clever style. It’s not the brain-teaser Dark City is, but it’s still worth a look.
Other notable Sewell performances: The Illusionist, Tristan + Isolde, The Legend of Zorro, Hamlet (1996), Dangerous Beauty
Enjoy our Double Feature suggestions? and maybe we’ll use them in a future column.
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