Product Description

Screen favorites Colin Firth (WHAT A GIRL WANTS, BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY) and Ian Holm (THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy, FROM HELL) star in THE ADVOCATE -- one of Hollywood's most controversial films in years and described by many as provocative, sexy, and fascinating. A courtroom thriller with a passionate edge, it's the story of a dynamic young lawyer (Firth) whose quest for the simple life leads him to a law position in a small rural town. What he finds instead is a disturbing case of murder, seduction, and corruption -- a case that reveals the mystery beneath the village's quiet facade. Yet as he searches for answers, he finds himself drawn into a web of intrigue and betrayal. Don't miss this sexy thriller -- a dark story about the many sides of truth, and passion's deadly price!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20084 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-07-01
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 102 minutes

Amazon.com
The Advocate is an intriguing medieval court drama set in the days when humans and animals were both known to contain the devil. Courtois, an educated lawyer (Colin Firth), leaves the big city to find peace in the countryside but finds murderous acts holding the small hamlet in fear. To the town folk, Courtois's intelligence is nearly as mysterious as witchcraft, which is all the talk of the day. Since we rarely see a movie set in this time period, it intrigues but doesn't teach beyond its initial premise: animals can go on trial. The film is supported by some wonderful character actors, including Ian Holm as a priest with very liberal views and Nicol Williamson as the unofficial king. Lots of naughtiness mostly played for laughs makes this the first thinking person's ribald classic. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews

A brilliantly insane and entirely overlooked film
"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.

A real B movie, raised up by great acting
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.

CLEVER, INTELLEGENT AND ENTERTAINING
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.