Review of One Night with the King (2006) by Jane M — 08 May 2008

The alterations and liberties taken with the Biblical story, for the most part, don't work very well. The script is, sadly, seriously lacking. The dialog is not the problem, mind you. That's more than adequate.

Also, there are many fun scenes. The problem is that they aren't properly connected at all. That said, there are a number of things that this film does right. For one, the art direction and use of color are really well done, as is the cinematography.

Even while you cringe at some of the weak writing, you can still enjoy the visual experience. Also, the casting is mostly good. Tiffany Dupont may not be the best actress in the world, but you get used to her in the part and she does come to feel right.

Also, Luke Goss's portrayal of the king seems distant and not very engaging. However, like with Dupont, you get used to him in the role and actually begin to like him. I did, at least. The problems with the film mostly stem from Stephan Blinn's mediocre script and problems surrounding Michael Sajbel's direction.

With this film, Sajbel shows an apparent inability to work with his actors and get the best out of them. Goss and John Rhys-Davies, for example, have shown in past performances that they're more than decent actors.

They just have to be working with a more capable director. Overall, the film is more than decent, but it just should have been better. The magic necklace was really, really silly.