| CADFAEL
REVIEWS
Brother Jerome is always looking for something to mount up
against Brother Cadfael, the gentle herbalist of the abbey,
and this time he may actually have something to stand alone
in the abbey court! With the Prior Abbot called from Shrewsbury,
and no doubt literally ready to get the sack, Prior Robert,
whom Jerome faithfully follows, is left in charge, and takes
his new position most seriously, to the point that half the
monks want to strangle him, and the other half, like Brother
Cadfael, pray that the Father will return soon.
When a wealthy Welsh land owner deeds his property to the
Benedictine order and moves his family into the abbey's confines
for retirement, it is merely the beginning in a long line
of treachery and betrayal. Bonel's stepson, Edwin, and himself
had a furious interlude over the subject of the inheritance,
to the distress of Bonel's wife, Richildis, whom it is discovered
was a past friend and even fiancée of Brother Cadfael
in his days of the Crusades.
What a delightful piece of information this is, Brother Jerome
concludes gleefully, and proceeds to watch Cadfael carefully.
But while the Benedictine brothers' attentions are occupied
elsewhere, a crime is committed right below their very noses,
and Bonel winds up dead, poisoned by a deadly herb from Cadfael's
infirmary... commonly known as the Monk's Hood, in a dish
that Prior Robert sent him. Instantly worried for the prior's
own health, Cadfael is distressed to discover that the poison
was meant only for Bonel.
When Richildis pleads with Cadfael to help her, Brother Jerome
makes the man's previous entanglement with this woman known,
and Cadfael is confined to the infirmary. However, orders
never once stopped him from investigating before, and he uses
his novice's pair of legs to do the searching for him. Their
findings turn up a hornet's nest of motives and opportunities
amidst the investigation of Edwin, who is being blamed for
his stepson's death. But how long before Brother Jerome pokes
his nose in again? Only time will tell.
The Monk's Hood is an interesting twist of familiarity and
the unexpected that shows, once again, Cadfael at his best,
in this entanglement with Richildis, and the immediate conclusions
that Brother Jerome and Prior Robert are more than eager to
jump to. It has a mix of comedy, drama, and adventure to keep
anyone interested, and a rather surprising ending. They did
change the story from that of the novel slightly, but not
enough to displease any Cadfael lover.
Derek Jacobi, as always, was an excellent Cadfael, and in
this episode in particular, used his expressions to convey
feelings, proving that he is a master at his medium, painting
his character with vibrant colors. Julian Firth's Brother
Jerome was at his worst, and one almost wishes something would
happen to the meddlesome, ill-mannered little snit of a monk.
The ending, which involves the turning over of the abbey to
a rather surprising source, leaves one in stitches, and not
at all feeling sorry for the pious Prior Robert.
Few cautions are involved in this mystery. There are several
innapropriate mentions of God ("God," "Christ God," and "For
God's sake...") and it is apparent that Bonel was hardly faithful
to his wife. Brother Jerome spills out his ideas, that Cadfael
was once party to a "worldly involvement" with Richildis,
and also, early in the film, is testifying against a young
novice who dared sing a folk song about a crusader fascinated
with a woman's chemise, but actually, it makes him more laughable,
and you generally roll your eyes over his absurdity. He seems
so occupied with other people being holy that it's quite apparent
that if he himself were held to such a standard, such thoughts
would never even cross his mind.
All in all, a good mystery. Not swiftly-moving, with very
little violence, so it may not keep the attention of fast-paced
film lovers, but for Cadfael fans, or even just fans of a
good mystery, it's a hearty thumbs-up, and another ribbon
to Ellis Peter's collection.
See this review here
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