JOAN OF ARC

Directed By Luc Besson. Starring Milla Jovovich, John Malkovich, Faye Dunaway, Dustin Hoffman

In theory, the potential for Joan of Arc to be an embarrassing fiasco is huge. First, there is the inherent difficulty of translating the legend to celluloid; secondly, Luc Besson's taste for the epic is just as capable of producing works of overblown emptiness as of sumptuous grandeur; thirdly, the director's decision to cast his (now estranged) wife Milla Jovovich in the lead role raised a few eyebrows. Be grateful, then, that despite all of this, and the critical panning it has received in the States, Joan Of Arc is actually a hugely enjoyable, if sometimes overwrought, movie.

The plot hardly needs much explaining - religious fanatic saves France, gets betrayed, gets toasted - but the story-telling is expertly paced and the film's two-hour duration flies by. Visually, it is also magnificent - when dealing with Joan's childhood, for example, the French landscape is utterly seductive, while even those who share this reviewer's lack of enthusiasm for gore and violence will find it difficult not to get caught up in the visceral excitement of the battle scenes.

Less successful are the attempts to depict Joan's moments of religious revelation. Too often they fall on the wrong side of the thin line separating the awesome from the laughable, even if they do act as a dynamic counterpoint to the lengthy passages of blood-spattered realism.

Jovovich, without ever being brilliant, carries off the role with more aplomb than expected. True, there are moments when she simpers and verges on the hammy, but more often she plays Joan with just about the right mixture of intensity, impetuosity and defiance. Malkovich, meanwhile, steals the show. His Dauphin is imbued with a diffidence and lack of natural authority which manifests itself as part-camp, part-cunning.

Elsewhere, Dustin Hoffman delivers a bizarre performance as Joan's conscience, and Faye Dunaway is excellent (albeit in an underdeveloped role).

Joan Of Arc's main failing is that it can seem a little forced. Nevertheless, it is rich, exciting and commands the attention from start to finish. A saint's story has never been so much fun. Who'd have thought it?

* Niall Stanage