Restoration
Release date: 1995-12-29
Votes: 120
Genres: Drama, Romance
An aspiring young physician, Robert Merivel found himself in the service of King Charles II and saves the life of someone close to the King. Merivel joins the King's court and lives the high life provided to someone of his position. Merivel is ordered to marry his King's mistress in order to divert the queens suspicions. He is given one order by the king and that is not to fall in love. The situation worsens when Merivel finds himself in love with his new wife. Eventually, the King finds out and relieves Merivel of his position and wealth. His fall from grace leaves Merivel where he first started. And through his travels and reunions with an old friend, he rediscovers his love for true medicine and what it really means to be a physician.
Reviews
CinemaSerf
"Merivel" (Robert Downey Jnr.) is an aspiring doctor who just happens to be in the right place at the right time. Charles II (Sam Neill) has just been restored to Britain's post-Cromwellian thrones and is rather fond of his spaniel. It's poorly, the doctor makes it better and next thing he's enjoying the life of a libertine at the king's court. Now the king has a reputation as a bit of a Lothario, so he decides to get his favourite physician to marry one of his mistresses so as to turn the heat down a little. The only stipulation is that he isn't to fall in love with "Celia" (Polly Walker) but you can guess how successful that strategy proves. Furious, what the king giveth he can taketh away, and promptly "Merivel" is out on his ear - just as plague sweeps the country. Perhaps salvation might come in the form of wench "Katharine" (Meg Ryan)? At times it's bawdy fun, but for the most part it's just a rather dull interpretation of life at a legendarily vibrant and debauched court that's all too devoid of fun. Downey embraces the character to an extent, but I felt he relied way too much on the design (production and costume) to present his persona or to really show us how seriously he took his profession. Sam Neill is just plain wooden as the mischievous king and though the ensemble cast enter into the spirit of the film with varying degrees of enthusiasm, even this familiar array of British thesps can't make this sow's ear into a silk purse. History tells us that though Charles II was undoubtedly a ladies' man, he was also quite a philanthropist and had the writers tried to raise this above the level of a latter day "Carry On" film, we could have put some more meat on the bones of a story about people at a crossroads in history. There's some period Henry Purcell to be found amidst the soundtrack and it does look great, but somehow it just doesn't deliver.
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