The Lion in Winter

Movie Review: The Lion in Winter (***1/2 out of 4 stars)

Year of Release: 1968

Country of Origin: UK

Director: Anthony Harvey

Cast: Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins, John Castle, Nigel Terry, Timothy Dalton, Jane Merrow

Plot outline: England's King Henry II's three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice. So, they and his estranged queen variously plot to force him (IMDb).

The story (**** This splendid drama of plots and schemes is crisp, with consistently sharp, quotable dialogue of a kind rarely seen anymore.)

How the story unfolds (*** The story is expressed almost entirely through dialogue rather than cinematography, making it resemble a stage play.)

The characters (****)

The dialogue (****)

The acting (**** The acting is fantastic across the board--Katharine Hepburn won an Oscar for her part. Look, too, for early career-launching performances by Anthony Hopkins and Timothy Dalton.)

Overall rating: ***1/2 out of 4 stars