In the waning years of King Henry II's (Patrick Stewart) reign his family gathers together for Christmastime and to scheme over who will succeed him. His queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Glenn Close), who he's kept locked up in a tower for years, is pushing Richard the Lionhearted (John Light), while Henry would like to see the simpleton John (Rafe Spall) be the next king. The dialogue, written by James Goldman (based on his own play) sparkles, even if this version doesn't live up to the 1968 film version starring Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn.

Stewart is good, but he never manages to convey the menace O'Toole did and Close never seems as lethal as Hepburn. But Stewart is good when Henry is enjoying himself. The production looks very cheap and the directing is undistinguished, yet Stewart and Close are still worth watching. It's a much better move if you've never seen the original.