dev patel | the m0vie blog

New Escapist Column! On How “The Green Knight” Deconstructs the Hero’s Journey…

Posted on August 30, 2021 by Darren

I published a new In the Frame piece at The Escapist this evening. With the release of David Lowery’s The Green Knight on streaming, it seemed like a good opportunity to take a look at the director’s reimagining of classic Arthurian legend.

In particular, when is so fascinating about The Green Knight is the way that it takes a very classic and very conventional hero’s journey – the story of a character who embarks upon a quest that makes them better, stronger and wiser before returning home fundamentally changed by the experience – and gradually deconstructs it. Is a hero’s journey alone enough to make Gawain a great man? Can the adventure make him a different person? Is there a checklist of accomplishments that he must complete before he becomes a worthy knight? The Green Knight interrogates and explores these questions.

You can read the piece here, or click the picture below.

Filed under: On Second Thought | Tagged: arthurian legend, david lowery, dev patel, film, in the frame, Joseph Campbell, jrr tolkien, king arthur, Movie, myth, quest, review, the escapist, the green knight, the hero's journey | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Darren

This film was seen as part of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2012.

Coming from director John Madden, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is fairly straight-forward in what it offers audiences. Unlike Dev Patel’s entrepreneurial “Sonny”, who lures foreign tourists to his Indian hotel using a carefully photoshopped image, there’s no sense that the movie is in any way misleading. It’s a feel-good travel comedy-drama that throws together a wealth of experienced British talent in a story about embracing life and change and various other wonderful aspects of existence. It’s always thrilling to see these sorts of actors afforded the opportunity to shine, and a huge amount of the appeal of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is in watching its veteran thespians just cut loose and have a bit of fun.

Lounging around...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, bill nighy, Celia Imrie, dev patel, film, india, John Madden, judi dench, London, Maggie Smith, Movie, non-review review, penelope wilton, review, the best exotic marigold hotel, Tom Wilkinson | 6 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Slumdog Millionaire

Posted on May 31, 2009 by Darren

Probably the only “feel-good film of the year” to involve excrement-covered urchins, the blindng of beggars and brutal police interrogation methods within the first half-hour of screentime. I have to admit I love the marketing for the film, which has pitched it as a movie that will leve you feeling as though you just spent two hours basking in sunshine. I’d suggest the experience is somewhat different. That’s not to say I didn’t greatly enjoy the film – it was one of the best of the year – just a warning to viewers not to expect sunshine and lollipops for most of the film’s runtime. So, how does the official Best Picture of 2008 stack up?