Arabian Nights (1999)
CDN$ 5.50
The plot is simple, but the resulting story is great... - Arabian nights is a Hallmark mini-series based on the popular book A thousand and one nights. Truth to be told, I enjoyed this dvd enormously, and I think many of you will like it too.For those who haven t read any of the versions of A thousand and one nights yet, the plot is simple but the resulting story that the spectator can enjoy is great. A Sultan (Dougray Scott) discovers that his wife betrays him with his brother, and kills her. Hurt and almost mad, the Sultan says that he will wed again but declares that he will marry a new bride everyday, killing her the next morning so she won t betray him too. His first chosen bride is the daughter of his main advisor, Scheherazade (Mili Avital), a woman who loves him and that will try to keep herself and the other women in the palace alive, as well as make the Sultan fall in love with her. In order to do so, Scheherazade begins to tell him a story during their first night together, engaging the Sultan so much in it that the next day he postpones her execution.And that continues for a long time, every night and with different and enchanting stories, that the director (Steve Barron) somehow manages to show to the spectator, mixed almost seamlessly with the main story. Among other tales, you will be treated to wonderful versions of Ali Baba and the forty thieves and Aladdin and the magic lamp.Of course, you will wonder how this story finishes, and what happens with the Sultan and Scheherazade. But for that, unfortunately (or fortunately?), you will have to watch this movie, or buy a good version of A thousand and one nights. In my opinion, doing those two things one after the other would be an excellent idea. The reason for that is that even though the book and the filmic version of it that this dvd contains are quite different, they are both extremely good. Highly recommended!Belen Alcat
WOW - Such a well put together piece of art. At first I thought it would be boring, but it s many stories in one, wit a main story on the side, and the outcome connects t all the side stories. I LOVED IT, and highly recommand it,
Delightful - This movie is absolutely thrilling. All in all it is actually one of my favorites.The insane Sultan Schahriar of Baghdad (Dougray Scott), after having accidentally killed his wife upon finding her in bed with his brother, fears that any woman he marries will plot his death.Insane and paranoid Sultan Schahriar is, and as his Grand Vizier says with so much truth he works for the worst type of madman: a madman with power .Are any Third World dictators listening???The Sultan looks for a wife to marry and have executed the next morning, and it is the Grand Viziers daughter, played by the exquisite Israeli beauty Mili Avital, who volunteers to be the lamb for the slaughter, knowing full well the Sultans dastardly plan. She aims to save the woman of the Kingdom, the Sultan and of course herself.What she aims to do is keep him awake for forty nights with enchanting stories, which she has learned from a wise old storyteller ((Alan Bates) on the streets of Baghdad.The stories told are Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Aladdin, The Sultans Jester, Never Tell the Same Joke Twice, and a story of three brothers sent on a glorious quest.This movie is thrilling, sensual, insightful, wise, touching and hilariously funny, all at once.It also introduces us to four of the world most gorgeous women, the exquisite and fascinating Mili Avital as Scheherezade, the lovely Amira Casar as Ali Baba s servant girl and later wife, the sensual and delightful Ayesha Dhakar in the opening scene and several cameo roles, and Vanessa Mae as Aladdin s Princess.I love this movie.
It just doesn t get much better than this - The casting alone is to die for. You just have to see it.
It s got it all, darlings - A few years ago, there was a television movie on ABC called The Arabian Nights. It was a two night series and I absolutely loved it. So, when it came out on DVD, I got it right away. It truly captures the beautiful stories I used to hear as a young boy from one of my aunts. More than anything, the film is so funny. One of the most funniest scenes is when Ali Baba s brother, Abu Kasim, dies and he rents the Damascus Mourners for the funeral. A bunch of men and women show up and wail all over the burial. Later, the leader of the group comes up to Ali Baba and says, Remember us if you have more deaths in the family. That is perhaps the funniest thing in the film. Truly, the director, Steve Barron, who also directed the supernatural Merlin, makes this film one of the, by far, best films I have ever seen. The effects are so much fun to watch and the acting is so good. A group actors, who are so diverse, make this film delicious. And don t forget to watch for people showing up in different scenes. For example, the women of the Harem have some women who also play in different characters, elsewhere. And the Jinns - both the cute gay one and the evil one - are played by Leguizamo. You can t miss this one, darlings.AJ