Such a frustrating disappointment

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

If anyone knows how to make films about kings and queens, it the British. I wasn't wrote sure what to expect from this tale as I knew the story of Henry VIII and had read that this version had been lost for some time. It appears the camera negative was misplaced and now it has been found. This is all to the betterment of the film and the film maker, who in the DVD extras explains what happened.The story of an abandoned manor house where an injured Henry comes to seek refuge was no doubt one that was convenient for a film maker looking for an economic way to tell his tale. Once the film is underway you feel a real sense of damp presence and foreboding haunting. The mix of performances (with TP McKenna coming out clearly on top) makes this an unusual experiences but one that I can recommend. A change from the usual costume fare, this is one to be watched with the drapes closed and the doors firmly locked!!

No not Lord of the Rings, but an earlier telling of the story of Henry VIII. Not seen for nearly 20 years, Monarch is a good example of historical retelling. Set one night in an all but abandoned house, Henry VIII and his small court arrive unexpectedly during a thunder storm. I really enjoyed this film and despite all of it budget short comings it does hold the attention. An exquisite cast headed by Jean Marsh and the late great TP McKenna make this an essential master class for anyone who is thinking of playing a king. Young HBO pretenders to the crown take stock here, this is how to be a regent and not a hair gelled bed hopper. There is quiet desperation here and a metaphor about a monarchy in a modern society. Henry would never have survived the court of public opinion today. But then he was very much a product of his time, he flourished when it was a time of the tyrants. Well worth a look and yes a 10 out of 10, not because it's the most accomplished film ever made, but I wanted to give John Walsh a bog hand for his efforts on a shoe string. He shot at a location that was portrayed as an abandoned Jacobean manor house in a stormy night, when the harsh reality was this was a community centre in the daytime that was being used every day in the middle of a busy south London town, the magic of the movie eh?

A commoner has an unusual run-in with the King of England in this offbeat historical drama. In 1547, Thorn (James Coombes) is employed as a servant and caretaker by a wealthy British landowner who has put Thorn in charge of his mansion while he's away for the winter. One night, Thorn is terrified to hear what he imagines are armed bandits breaking into the mansion, and he hides in fear of his life. However, Thorn soon discovers he has a very different breed of unexpected guests. With political unrest sweeping England, King Henry VIII (T.P. McKenna) is travelling incognito while trying to bring stability back to his domain, but his coach has been attacked by thieves and the wounded king needs a place to rest. Henry isn't so sure that the ambush was a simple robbery, however -- he thinks it could have been a cleverly disguised assassination attempt, and one of the advisors travelling with the king agrees. As Thorn observes the political intrigue that has suddenly appeared on his doorstep, he also has to deal with the randy goings-on of Henry VIII's assistants, who are openly and flamboyantly gay. Monarch was the first dramatic feature from documentary filmmaker John Walsh. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Monarch is an impressive debut for BAFTA winning documentary director John Walsh. At first appearance this looks like a run of the mill costume drama, but the sparse location careful lighting and efficient use of money and sound effects brings an eerie quality to a film, which although shot on a low budget, does not fall into the trap many of Walsh's peers appear to have in recent years. Brit gangster flicks are almost a prerequisite for a British directorial debut these days. Opting for this historical retelling of one night in the life of Henry VIII shortly before his death John Walsh has managed to convey a grand story of a dying King in an intimate and poignant way, with a few chills along the way.Much of the sparseness can be attributed to the low budget yet this simply adds to the tension and feeling of emptiness in a Monarch who as lived with excess. Lighting and music are both careful and complex. The camera is confident a brave in many sequences allowing the story to unfold rather than driving the camera and Walsh avoids the hand-held horror of most first time feature directors, opting for a more considered and Kubrick like composition of each shot.Lighting by ex-Kubrick alumni Ray Andrew (camera operator on The Shinning) heightens the sense of a dark, damp historical past. You can almost smell the damp, yet the lighting and careful flesh tones and Walsh's composition is reminiscent of painter Caravaggio.The support players are good here too, feeling as through they have been at the court of Henry for some years are themselves ready to give up the ghost. Female cheaters are sparse here but their impact is powerful. Jean March from "Willow" and "Upstairs, Downstairs" impresses as a ghostly amalgam of Henry's past wives. Walsh has brought new life to an up to now, well trodden piece of English history.The plot is simple yet effective. A grand house closed for the season when one night the injured ruler is brought in and slumps by the grand fireplace. Henry is without the power and control of his palace and is vulnerable from those around him, and from his own sanity.TP McKenna towers as Henry VIII with on screen chemistry of the Jean Marsh putting a chill down the spine of most viewers. It is somewhat of a shame that little gems like this are not given a wider viewing. I look forward to what John Walsh can next offer up.