The latest in our series of comfort film recommendations is a look back to 2001’s absurdly enjoyable mix of romance, action and anachronistic music choices
There’s a neat little moment in A Knight’s Tale that I like to think speaks directly to how it became one of my favourite films. Having riled up the crowd before Heath Ledger’s imposter knight William rides into a joust, Paul Bettany’s boisterous Geoffrey Chaucer tells him: “I got their attention. You go and win their hearts.”
Brian Helgeland’s 2001 film is on paper absurd. It’s a medieval sports movie about jousting, filmed on cheapo sets in post-Velvet revolution Prague to an arena-rock soundtrack, which begins with peasants walloping wooden stands to Queen’s We Will Rock You. Peter Bradshaw wrote in his review at the time: “Is the film based on a dream he had after eating far too much cheese?” Its leading lady, Shannyn Sossamon, her hair crimped into spiky halos, was scooped up into the cast from DJing Gwyneth Paltrow’s birthday party. Ledger is always wearing chaps. Is it authentic? Probably not! But A Knight’s Tale is a film so full of heart it’s the only thing that’ll do when I need to watch something uncomplicatedly lovely.
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