Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Alien, Gladiator) returns to what he does best in one of his best films since the The Counsellor (2013) in this brilliantly acted medieval saga which finally reunites Good Will Hunting Oscar winning duo Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
Adapted from Eric Jager’s book of the same name, The Last Duel recounts the story of Jean de Carrouges (Damon), a knight who challenges his friend and squire Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) to a duel after Carrouges’s wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer, simply stunning), accused Le Gris of rape.
France 1336. After a successful campaign fighting for the king across France, Jean de Carrouges returns home to find he has lost favour in the court of the Count Pierre d’Alençon (a delightfully camp and hilariously mischievous turn by Affleck) who has formed a strong bond with Jean’s former war companion Jacques Le Gris (played with poise and impressive precision by Driver). Widowed and penniless, Jean agrees to marry the beautiful Marguerite, the daughter of disgraced nobleman, for her money.
After a fruitless campaign in Scotland, Jean returns home to be told that in his absence, his old friend Le Gris had gained access to his home and attacked his wife with whom he had been madly in love. Jean vows to avenge the honour of his wife by challenging Le Gris to a deadly duel which the latter must agree to or admit his guilt.
Ridley Scott and writers Affleck, Damon and Nicole Holofcener presents a decidedly wordy, female centric, and compelling medieval cautionary tale. Told from 3 different stand points, those of Le Gris, De Carrouges and Marguerite Carrouges, the film is neatly packaged into 4 handy chapters which culminate in a stunning and bloody denouement.
With exquisite direction and outstanding performances courtesy of Comer, Damon and Driver, The Last Duel feels both epic and a hugely compelling watch. There are some truly harrowing moments of violence, but thankfully none of them feel gratuitous or unnecessary. This is a true return to form for Scott and a brilliant testament to Affleck and Damon’s unparalleled screenwriting expertise. A genuinely stunning spectacle from start to finish, see it on the biggest screen possible.
