THE MISTS OF
AVALON

2001 ****1/2 183 mins.

I almost find it hard to believe that this superb film was not originally shown in theatres. This film debuted on TNT in 2001, but I feel that it is far superior to other direct to television releases. The performances are perfect, and the costumes and sets aren't over-the-top as in so many period pieces. The film is written in such a way that the viewer can easily associate with its characters and believe everything that is seen. This film makes the story feel as modern and familiar as any film made about our own time.

This film is based upon the novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, which retells the legend of King Arthur. This is so much more than that, though. This film focus on his sister, Morgaine (Julianna Margulies), and how all the events happened as through her eyes. We get to see how all of the legend of Arthur and Camelot came to be, due to the influences of the High Priestess of Avalon (Anjelica Houston). From the first frame to the last, the viewer is wonderfully lost in this world of long ago, be it real or completely legend.

Why, then, after all of this praise, does this film not get five stars? Well, in all honesty, if I could, I would give this film ****3/4. There are just a couple of little things that bug me about this film. First, the brief slow-motion shots are just frustrating, and the couple of special effects shots are a bit too cheaply comical. Also, I feel that the story could have been expanded a bit in a few places (Morgaine's marriage to Uriens sticks out primarily in my mind). If these, though, are the only faults, this is still a damn good film.
Not rated; contains violence, sexual content, and brief nudity.

• Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Aired: July 15, 2001 on TNT

• EMMY AWARD: Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Non-Prosthetic) (Polly Earnshaw for part I)
• EMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS: Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Rodger Maus, Jaromir Svarc, Vlasta Svoboda, and Barbora Bucharova for part I), Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Movie (Vilmos Zsigmond for part I), Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Carlo Poggioli, Giovanni Casalnuovo, and Lindsay Pugh for part I), Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Carol Hemming for part I), Outstanding Miniseries (Mark Wolper, Jim Coburn, Lisa Alexander, Gideon Amir, and Bernd Eichinger), Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) (Lee Holdridge for part I), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Anjelica Huston), and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Joan Allen)
• GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATION: Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Julianna Margulies)