Movie Blog: 'The Last Of Robin Hood' Review

The love life of '50s Hollywood star Errol Flynn is too easily imagined in the lingering phrase "in like Flynn." The notorious playboy is the Robin Hood this film's title refers to, and his end-of-life relationship with a teenage girl is the focus of writer-director duo Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland. The two dive into the relationship's gray areas, yet the work doesn't emerge all that dark or dirty. That's strange, because it probably should.

At least the casting is dead-on. Flynn is reincarnated by the fantastic Kevin Kline, who looks so much like the swashbuckling actor it's almost scary. A grown-up-ish Dakota Fanning plays Beverly Aadland, his teenage obsession, and Susan Sarandon nails the part of her mom, who's constantly reaching for fame through the so-so talents of her daughter. The story starts with the aftermath of Flynn's death, then it retraces his relationship with the 15-year-old Beverly through the point of view of the mother. Initially, this feels like a balanced way of looking at the story, especially considering the film is based on a book the mother wrote. However, the only two people that actually feel alive in the film are the mother and Flynn. Beverly comes off like a porcelain doll. She's a tragic figure, she sheds tears, but her pain isn't tapped into. Instead, the focus is on the weird triangle of affection, desperation and self-deception that connected Flynn, Beverly and her mother.

To be clear: The film isn't boring, the period piece just fails to get under the skin. The ease with which one can walk away from this , just thinking it a cautionary tale about fame, is too easy. The murky details should stick like mud. This is a love story, like Nabokov's Lolita, that should hurt. Yet, despite strong performances from Kline and Sarandon, The Last of Robin Hood misses the mark.

The Last of Robin Hood is playing at the Lagoon Cinema.