Customer Reviews

The Advocate

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"The Advocate", written and directed by Leslie Megahey, is an underrated and overlooked film, masterful in its subtle insanity and brutally honest in its depiction of its characters and setting.

The time is 15th-century France, a time when animals were subject to the same civil laws and penalties as humans and could be tried in a court of law. Parisian lawyer Richard Courtois (Colin Firth) and his clerk Mathieu (Jim Carter) arrive in a small rural province. Courtois intends to enlighten the suprstitious and backwards populous, run by an unofficial leader (Nicol Williamson). Courtois' skills are put to the test when he must defend a pig accused of murder. That the pig belongs to a roving band of gypsies only complicates matters. Mixed into the conflict is racism, accusations of witchcraft, political and religious corruption, and whispers of the Cathar heresy.

The movie is wonderfully acted, and the director is sure not to glorify or soften any of the characters. Courtois may be intelligent, but he is also arrogant. The priest (Ian Holm) may be enlightened, but he is also a womanizer. The music and costumes are more period appropriate than most medeival fair, and many themes and signs of the times are apparent: the street preacher that accosts Courtois, the secrets of the Cathar heresy, and a particularly vivid Hieronymus Bosch-inspired nightmare. While the film is ostensibly a drama, their is much bawdy, Canterbury Tales-style humor, enough to keep the film from collapsing under its own weight.

The film is finally available on DVD, and this may bring a new round of fans to it. For myself, who had only ever seen it on video, seeing it in widescreen was a wonderful thing. Be warned, however, the film has a very twisted plot, and multiple viewings may be required to sort it all out. That's not even mentioning the twist ending, a moment of deliciously black irony. Definitely a must for period film fans and certainly for anyone who loves quirky, slightly off-key dramas.

This film is very entertaining though I'll admit the uncut version(HOUR OF THE PIG)is slightly better because some of the key scenes were edited out of THE ADVOCATE so the plot can be a bit hard to follow at times. The film is made in a rather tongue-in-cheek style so that the dialogue is witty, sharp but needs to be followed closely so that you are able to savor every twist of the plot fully. The court room scenes are wonderful; the rest of the film is full of interesting characters and funny moments that season the story about the naive, big city lawyer who learns quite a bit about the real world during his stay in the small country town. Well directed, well acted, well written. More than worth the time to see again and again.

If I could, I'd give this 3-1/2 stars, not just 3. Colin Firth, Ian Holm, Nicol Williamson, and Donald Pleasance, among others, make this film worth watching. History fans might enjoy the before and after synopses of the characters and the historical figures on whom they were based. Colin Firth fans will definitely appreciate his bed and bath scenes, although his acting abilities take everything up a notch. Still, with the gratuitous nudity, modern feel, and slim production values, this film can't aspire above B-movie status.

The plot's a bit convoluted. The story is minimally narrated by Matthieu, the law clerk, yet he figures very little in it. Is the story about his boss--the advocate--or about the town? Maybe it's too ambitious in scope, what with its contrasting of country life and city life, interjections of witches, superstition, racism against Jews and gypsies, fornicating by the local clergy, secret societies of merchants, the Black Plague, unusual hunting prey, and sodomy. Oh, yes, then there's the trying of animals in court, a central theme that adds both humor and pathos to the proceedings and proves to be the unraveling of a dark and dirty secret hidden within the town walls. The ending's twist on the knight in shining armor is a good one.

The film's worth a viewing for some fine performances and relatively interesting Medieval subject matter. Just don't expect it to be high brow.

A film you may never have heard of, but really should see. Trust me. (AKA "The Hour of the Pig") A good guy lawyer? A medieval good guy lawyer? A medieval good guy lawyer defending a pig who is charged with murder? And is isn't a slapstick comedy? This you got to see. The Advocate is an delicious medieval court drama that takes placein the days when humans and animals were both known to be hosts for the devil. Courtois, an educated lawyer (Colin Firth), runs from the big city to find peace in the countryside but, instead finds murderous acts holding the a village in fear. I won't give you more for fear of ruining the surprises, but the cast is peopled with dynamite performers like; Ian Holm , Donald Pleasence, Nicol Williamson & Michael Gough. Although there is a common inclination to sell this as a comedy,don't be fooled, there is dark moody drama here also.This is fun, thoughtful, intriguing drama and just one of the best films you are likely to ever see that contains the word "Pig" in the title.

This bawdy romp through the medieval French countryside is an ideal candidate for "cult" status. Colin Firth's 12th-Century yuppie lawyer is farmed out to Le Hicksville to plead the case of a pig. Contrary to what you might think, the courtroom scenes actually provide the most sobering moments in the film, reminding us of how frighteningly easy it is for humans to kowtow thier basic freedoms to superstition and dogma. It is Firth's interactions with the "locals" outside the courtroom that provide the most entertainment. Some memorable tete a tetes involving a chambermaid and a fiery Gypsy siren recall the 1963 classic "Tom Jones" at times. Wonderful supporting performances from the likes of Ian Holm and the late Donald Pleasence (playing the "heavy" as only he could) round off this unique, highly entertaining little sleeper. Note: I have NEVER seen this film referred to as "Hour Of The Pig" (outside of this listing)...it is always titled as "The Advocate" on cable and in video stores.

This is a very uneven film, to say the least. I would like to discuss the storyline/plot; the humor; then the film making and editing; and finally the actors.

First, this is the story of a dark time in human history where theocracy and fear of witchcraft ruled the minds of common people while wealth was concentrated in the hands of a few. It was a time of anti-semitism; torture; poverty; plague; and injustice. Into this mix comes a handsome young lawyer, played by Colin Firth, who defends witches and homicidal pigs. He falls in love with a Jewish beauty who seemed more gypsy than Jew. The story appeared to be written by a committee who could not decide if they were writing historic fiction, social commentary, or slapstick comedy. Dark humor prior to executions gave the film a odd sense.

Second, this film was poorly edited. Scenes were cut short and I felt constantly jerked around by amaturish film editing.

Third, the cast was actually superb even if the rest of the film was weak. Colin Firth never overplayed his part. For Colin Firth fans, he appears nude in several scenes. Ian Holmes was very good as a corrupt priest who advises Firth. Donald Pleasence wins the award for highly professional acting in a poorly developed story. Pleasence plays a aged lawyer who outsmarts and outmaneuvers Colin Firth in the courtroom.

Idiotic story with good acting - gets a 3 in my book.

It's about time this was released on tape... Brilliant early-Renaissance satire about a 14th-century big-for-his-britches Paris lawyer who has to move to the country to escape creditors and/or husbands, I forget which, and, there, defend a pig accused of murder (because pigs could be possessed by the devil, they could be tried at law just like humans)... One of the great courtroom farces of all time. Wonderful implicit satire on the eternal corruption of the justice system. Oh, and there's bawdry in it too. The twist at the end will jar you. You'll never forget the movie. You really need to buy this.

A friend pitched this movie to me as an uproarious Monty Python-like film about medieval lawyers. The Miramax marketing division tried instead to promote it as a sensual murder-mystery and courtroom thriller. (They failed, however, to mention that it's set in the Middle Ages.) The truth is somewhere in between -- yes, The Advocate is funny, but it's no thigh-slapper. Yes, it contains something of a murder-mystery (with a large black hog as its primary suspect) and courtroom drama, but it's not edge-of-your-seat suspense. Yes, it is sensual at times (so much so that cuts were required to keep an NC-17 rating off the film), but it's certainly no glossy romance. (Generally, the film's love scenes generate a vague worry that perhaps the participants should have a bath or something first.)

But all combined, the movie is a fascinating -- if somewhat surreal and sometimes startling -- movie experience.

The Advocate (also known as The Hour of the Pig) stars Colin Firth as Richard Courtois, a Paris defense attorney who seeks a quieter life in the country. He and his diligent clerk, Mathieu (Jim Carter), settle in the quiet-seeming hamlet of Abbeville, but the town isn't as quiet as Courtois had hoped. Also, he learns to his frustration, the law allows animals to be accused and tried with the same rights and privileges as humans. Thus, shortly after freeing a man who bludgeoned his wife's lover to death and failing to save an accused witch, the conscientious Courtois finds himself called upon to defend the aforementioned pig.

Believe it or not, the major plot points of the film, set in 1452, are based on historical records, culled from court transcripts and diaries of the day. The opening scene, where a man and his she-ass stand accused of carnal acts, sets the tone as nooses are placed around both convicts' necks. A last-minute reprieve does arrive in time to save the ass, however -- the court has determined that she was a victim, not a willing participant, and therefore may go free with no stain upon her.

This movie isn't for everyone, and certainly the pace will seem a little slow for those raised on typical Hollywood comedy fare, but nonetheless it is worth tracking down for a curious 110 minutes of medieval intrigue and wit.

This movie is definitely a different take on the usual Medieval movie because it's about a lawyer instead of knights on horseback and battles. The battles in it take place in a courtroom, and give the viewer a slight taste of how bizarre Medieval "justice" seems compared to modern justice.

Handsome, talented Colin Firth does a good job playing a lawyer from the city in search of a simpler life in a small provincial town. He's in for some major surprises. The rest of the cast is good also, full of British character actors.

Watch and listen VERY carefully or you will miss subtle details throughout the film.

I got a shock when this arrived because the cover seemed to indicate that it was some sort of deviant sex tape, not at all what I was expecting from the UK reviews I'd read. Thankfully the reviews were right and the movie was excellent - presumably the cover had been 'sexed-up' for the American market. A fantastic little movie, very funny, well acted, beautifully satirical and thoroughly recommended. Colin Firth is a delight, as always.