Virgin Territory Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Young Florentines regale one another in the Italian countryside while the black plague decimates their city.
| Hayden Christensen | Lorenzo |
| Mischa Barton | Pampinea |
| Christopher Egan | Dioneo |
| Tim Roth | Gerbino |
| Silvia Colloca | Sister Lisabetta |
| Ryan Cartwright | Ghino |
| Federico Ciuffolini | Count's Men |
| Tommaso Cini | Panfilo |
| Neil Edmond | Thin Bandit |
| Justin Edwards | Sensible Bandit |
| Rupert Friend | Alessandro Felice |
| Diego Guerra | Gerbino's Men on wall |
| David Leland | Ricciardo |
| Riccardo Merra | Dead Man on Cart |
| David Leland |
5.30 out of 10 (427 votes)
Visitor Reviews
R-rated B movie of Fantasy/Adventure with a surprisingly good cast of actors
posted on 16 Jul 2009Virgin Territory is for secondary and high-school teens. If you're older than 18, you can't get any taste from this work of fiction, or wise to say, a tale.Tim Roth, Mischa Barton and Hayden Christensen form a love triangle. Tim Roth is the bad guy, the grim Roman knight; Mischa Barton is the princess popular with her virginity; and Hayden Christensen is an adventurer exactly seems like Robin Hood. By the way, we have a narrator, our storyteller who also plays a role, too.The tale takes place in feudal Europe, at the age of Roman Empire, and in the most leisured class of this empire: Florence. It's the epoch just before the invention of the gunpowder. Nevertheless, there is no historical coherence in this movie; for it's a fantasy. An absolutely complete fantasy of a craftsman working at the construction of a cathedral, who is also our narrator. While he was drawing artistic figures to the ceiling, he dreamed of an erotic and desirous fantasy of one man and a full nunnery of nuns playing the doctor-and-patient game altogether.If you're not from this world or have never watched a B-movie about nuns teaching sexology to a lad yet, then this could be a movie for you. The eroticism factor of Virgin Territory is very modern. Within a negative view, it's purposely making fun of the people who don't believe in sex before marriage. In an optimistic view, love still exists; at least whoever in love with someone, stays in love with the same one at the end.A funny and total shameless teen adventure movie for both boys and girls is what you will find. Don't worry if it's disturbing, obviously it's not. It's basically a modernization of 80s' eroticism epoch. New generation youth wouldn't watch Emmanuelle, right?
A more balanced review: so-so Medieval romp
posted on 23 May 2009It seems the other reviews either love everything about this, or hated it...Well, I have to say for what it is, it is OK and watchable if you know you just want a no brainer evening.It doess a real sense of fun without too much silliness and even a definite charm.It is sexy, and has a fair amount of nudity, but it's all done in a spirit of fun...It is a bit of Carry On, a bit of Romeo and Juliet, with sexy romance, and dashing sword fights, some decent one-liners and some running gags it all works if you're in the right mood.The plot is a take on the Comedy of Errors, three suitors, one girl, but one is mean and nasty, the other falls in love with another girl, and one is her true love... it ain't Shakepseare but it is fun to see what happens next.Nicely shot with good costumes and settings this is one to just enjoy for what it is: escapist comedy reasonably entertaining and fun...
Nearly Everything a Film should be
posted on 21 May 2009All the basics you want in a film. Fun, villains, sex, humor, heroes, and a happy ending. But not predictable. No intense thinking material, yet there is intense thinking underneath.It might be viewed as a light-hearted Elizabeth the Golden Age, though on a smaller scale and in a different part of England. Out in the country where the big bad wolves and princesses in distress mingle.Makes me wonder why it didn't do much better at the box office. It certainly deserved to. I guess it's hard to market a film that may seem old, religious, and historical. In reality, the religion and history serve as a backdrop and the film never feels old.Tim Roth leads a cast of great acting. He makes the villain both hate-able and amusing.
its a movie only for Mischa Barton!!
posted on 17 Apr 2009well i am not here to explain all about this movie!!! i saw this movie only because of Mischa Barton!!!! i love her acting and i love her talent!!! everything is perfect about her in this movie!!! well if u are a Mischa's fan u MUST watch this movie!!!! its interesting and its funny!!! As a big fan of classic swashbucklers i wasn't expecting much of this movie and because of that I liked it very much. It's very low budget, but has some decent sword fights. Besides that its filled with beautiful women (actually beautiful) and yes, quite some nudity. But in a non-offensive and quite charming way. Mischa Barton is looking great as a historical figure (better than perfect-teeth Keira Knightley in PotC, P&P) and Hayden is quite good with his sword and a better swashbuckling hero than for example Heith Ledger in Casanova or Orlando Bloom. the movie is just great fun. its highly entertaining with the simple stuff: swords and love. i enjoyed it a lot. Actually the first entertaining swashbuckler of the 21st century.
Finally, a decent swashbuckler (but very simple)
posted on 30 Dec 2008As a big fan of classic swashbucklers i wasn't expecting much of this movie and because of that I liked it very much. It's very low budget, but has some decent sword fights. Besides that its filled with beautiful women (actually beautiful) and yes, quite some nudity. But in a non-offensive and quite charming way. Mischa Barton is looking great as a historical figure (better than perfect-teeth Keira Knightley in PotC, P&P) and Hayden is quite good with his sword and a better swashbuckling hero than for example Heith Ledger in Casanova or Orlando Bloom. the movie is just great fun. its highly entertaining with the simple stuff: swords and love. i enjoyed it a lot. Actually the first entertaining swashbuckler of the 21st century.
My Review
posted on 20 Dec 2008Back in the olden days, somewhere in Europe, renegade bad boy Lorenzo (Hayden Christensen) is on the run from Gerbino (Tim Roth), who wants him dead after a game Lorenzo won. Meanwhile, rich Pampinea (Mischa Barton) is set to be married to some foreign guy, but Gerbino wants her for himself, and Lorenzo has a little thing for her too perhaps.Lorenzo ends up in a convent, pretending he's deaf and dumb so the nuns will all have sex with him for some reason, then Pampinea, on the run, ends up at the convent too, and falls for him even more.Basically all this movie is is a very undermined porno. Nuns having sex with Lorenzo all the time doesn't really convey what nuns really do. And just the overall storyline is ridiculous. It's like a lame version of "Casanova", without the superb acting abilities of Heath Ledger and Sienna Miller, and instead the leads go to Hayden "I killed Darth Vader for every true 'Star Wars' fan" Christensen and Misha "I should've never quit 'The O.C.'" Barton. Run far away from this film, or find a place to bury it so no one will ever find it.
Drama, Adventure, Comedy, Romance? Not really...
posted on 17 Oct 2008I laughed (out loud) once. I hardly think that constitutes a 'comedy' for me.There are a few witty one-liners, and a touch of situational humor, but most of the humor is pretty stale and dry. I think they were trying for something along the lines of The Princess Bride, but missed the mark entirely.There were a few sword-fights, but that hardly supports an entire 'adventure', and the plot was utterly formulaic and you could see 10 minutes ahead of the film at any given point.As for the romance, well, the ONE romantic idea present in the film just wasn't enough to qualify it for a romance film either.My hat is off to anyone who can find an ounce of drama in this movie either...So, what is it? Something to pass the time if you literally have nothing else to do. As I mentioned before, I'd recommend watching the Princess Bride if you haven't, or watching it again, rather than watch this.I gave it three stars because the acting wasn't terrible, there were those witty one-liners, and I did manage to laugh once.
Lightweight, but well-acted and well-photographed
posted on 13 Oct 2008This isn't exactly "The Grapes of Wrath" or "Citizen Kane"...but so what? I found it a very adequate period-piece comedy that even occasionally had a hint of Monty Python humor. The musical soundtrack was decidedly 21st Century...but it "worked" for me.The cinematography was surprisingly well-crafted, in my opinion, and the acting was perfectly adequate, albeit nothing exceptional. All the actresses were decidedly attractive -- why do I think that 14th-Century nuns in an Italian convent during the Black Death were maybe not quite so hot as depicted here?? -- and Mischa Barton proves once again that she is a truly gorgeous young woman (although she was NOT one of the several females who had any nude scenes).Bottom line: worth a rental, and also an OK "date movie".
a wonderful, happy movie of love, bravery and peace
posted on 07 Oct 2008i watched this movie not expecting a lot. but wow, i got far more.this is a movie of love and the complexities thereof, of bravery, and indeed the sword fighting scenes were incredible. haydn was wonderful in it.the casting was beyond reproach, it was perfect :) many derided haydn's acting abilities, but he has proved himself in this movie :) i wont spoil it, but the ending made me smile, and it was as perfect as true love could be :D a wonderful movie. i give this movie 7 out of 10. it deserved more though frankly if you're looking for a great movie to watch, swashbuckling, everything i mention in my summary title, this is the one to watch :D
A movie made to entertain, and it scores!
posted on 24 Aug 2008Of course this movie will never win an Oscar, but that is not what it aims for. It aims to entertain the audience, with a certain amount of nudity and sexual innuendo, and it does that quite well I've to say. Mischa Barton and Hayden Christensen act their roles quite well, just like Tim Roth, and basically I can say that if you want a night of light entertainment, this movie can provide that.It is loosely based on the Decameron by Boccaccio, and if I have to find a problem with the movie, it is the Italian title for it, because really, the references to the Decameron are not so many, but at the same time, the situation of a group of young people leaving Florence for the plague is the same, so I guess it could be accepted. However, it's all the "adventures" these people go through once they leave the town that make the movie somewhat interesting and amusing.I know I'll be watching it again in the future.
What a mess
posted on 04 Aug 2008I really wanted to like this film but instead I'm bemused as to how David Leland managed to make such a mess. The plot is scrappy at best, there are far too many characters you are supposed to care about you end up caring about none, it's never clear who or what the film is really about, the acting is below par and the nudity is gratuitous.The love affair between Lorenzo (Hayden Christensen) and Pampinea (Mischa Barton) is implausible and you can't help but feel that something is missing from the beginning of this film to help ground their relationship in something other than the odd coy glance. The acting isn't terrible but it is unforgivable in key places, in particular whenever Barton and Christensen kiss, which feel so forced and unnatural that it makes me wonder if Barton's real life boyfriend was on set watching.I wouldn't call this film a comedy however there are some very odd moments where it seems comedy is the intention but it just doesn't work. For example a cameo from David Walliams would be welcome in any comedy but in Virgin Territory it just doesn't seem to fit - his zany exploits are mistimed and misjudged.Also, there are many moments that defy all logic (what is Elissa suddenly doing in a lake on her own?) and a part me thinks that Leland was maybe trying to create a film that felt something akin to The Princess Bride. He failed, and he failed because I think he was also trying to create a film that felt like Zoro, or Sense and Sensibility, or Carry on Camping, or American Pie, or...in fact I don't think even Leland knew what he was trying to do.The sexual elements are also misplaced with one or two moments where it seems Leland was gunning for the gross-out-teenage-sexual-angst genre. He fails again, falling well short of what we're used to and only confusing the audience further.There are some facets of this film I did like: the film is pretty well shot and the scenery in many scenes is a joy. I found Count Dzerzhinsky (Matthew Rhys) a welcome light relief and his character by far the most interesting and Christopher Egan did a fantastic job of portraying Dioneo as the unhinged antagonist. However, these things could never make up for a film that really doesn't know what it's doing, which is a shame because it did have potential.
Re-watch Il Decameron (1971)
posted on 27 Jul 2008I was not expecting much from this movie. I think to make a movie based on a classic novel such as “The Decameron" by Giovanni Boccaccio, plus there already is a movie based on this novel “Il Decameron” (1971), directed by genius Pier Paolo Pasolini, you should be very brave (not with much of intelligence), or extremely talented… But I haven’t found none of it in the movie Virgin Territory. The whole story is very week, way too many story lines and all of them very superficial. The acting… I’d only want to say that the actors look very funny in that clothes, no point in discussing the way they are moving, speaking etc. Even wonderful Tim Roth couldn't save it... I think people who’d like to watch this movie should also buy a DVD of Il Decameron and re-watch it after the Virgin Territory…
Enjoyed it
posted on 15 Jul 2008As a huge Hayden fan I have been waiting to see this movie for quite awhile. They kept changing the title and the release date, etc. I only by happen chance came upon it in one of those RedBox Machines yesterday and was thrilled. I enjoyed the movie. It was nothing Oscar worthy, but it was cute and had its moments. You may have to dispel reality for some of the films moments, but it is still enjoyable.I will say I wasn't expecting as much nudity and some of it gave me a feel of an older version of a teenage sex movie. And alas my poor Hayden is not very good with his accent. The naughty nun thing also gave me a surprise. When they started kissing his body and undressing him I was like "wait a second..." I think I had a few of those moments while watching this movie. The Count and the painter/turned priest were comic relief I would say. Also the way the captured Filomena and Elissa turned the situation around and dropped the men's trousers was quite a scene. What is the deal with the Orlando Bloom lookalike being their captor? Way too many characters with hard names for me to keep everything straight.I think if you don't go in expecting too much and over analyzing you will come out entertained.
Giovanni Boccacchio set spinning in his grave
posted on 25 Jun 2008When you view the trailer for VIRGIN TERRITORY, it is clear the marketing department is trying to attract those who went ga-ga over Baz Luhrmann's not totally dissimilar 1996 avant-garde literary adaptation, ROMEO + JULIET, which IMDb users have rated 40 per cent better than director David Leland's hatchet job on Giovanni Boccacchio's centuries-old bacchanalia, THE DECAMERON. When you listen to ancient wind-bag producer Dino De Laurentiis expound on VIRGIN TERRITORY's "Making of . . . ," it's clear his team had one thing in mind: a cheap youth-oriented sexploitation pic. The titillating but hardly relevant retitling of the film is only the first clue to the cringe-worthiness of this non-effort. (I personally prefer the Italian title, DECAMERON PIE, as it some aptly evokes a picture of Boccacchio-style ribaldry devolving to the thoughtless raunch of the endless AMER!CAN PIE movie series.) Within the first few minutes of VIRGIN, someone falls into a pool of excrement, and the dialog is delivered with a constant stream of incongruous accents and anachronistic modern obscenities. Worse yet, the Black Death Plague theme is milked for a few attempts at humor that totally misfire, after which the pretense of a historical setting is abruptly dropped. The lame pretense at religious satire or sacrilege pulls its punch, and the alleged sex scenes are for the most part brief erotic-free zones. Not everyone can pull off Fellini's SATYRICON (1969), but a word to the wise: when you pump out crap like VIRGIN TERRITORY, do NOT crow about it on a "Making of . . . " Rather, take your money and run--fast!
nice, mild, comic treatment on the Decammeron
posted on 19 Jun 2008This nice, mild version the extremely bawdy Decammeron Nights, was so lightly thought of, it was released directly to DVD in the US.The only reason for the R rating is the a few of the ladies busts are shown,& some suggestive dialogue as same ladies are milking a cow over the clothed body of our hero. What this movie really needed (since the guys are so handsome),was at least a suggestion of some male sex (which was in the original stories). There also should have been at least one whipping or torture scene, or suggestion of. THe above ladies were supposed to be nuns, to me they were not.Hayden Christensen (Star Wars 2 & 3) is not bad as our stalwart young hero. Mischa Barton is delightful as our pure heroine. Matthew Rhys as a Russian suitor is a comic find,( his character has a very long hard to pronounce name) He rattles this name & his lineage a few times & never misses a beat.In fact the entire cast is a delight,The script & direction was by David Leland and is good. The settings are beautiful. This is not a great film or even a good adaptation,it is just an enjoyable pleasant,not bawdy enough treatment.Ratings: *** (out of 4) 83 points (out of 100) IMDb 7 (out of 10)
Scriptwriters take better advice
posted on 18 Apr 2008I found this movie a cute sketch of medieval life. The main actors are really good. Though it added to my collection of funny blunders about Russia and Russians which Hollywood movies are unfortunately abound in: the Count of Novgorod's Dzerzhinsky double first name Dmitry Vyacheslav sounds rather strange. Such names just don't exist. There is no double first names in Russian. Judging by his father's parental name Abram and the family name the Count of Novgorod is a polish Jew. Very funny but highly unlikely from the historical point of view. And the language… The Count spouts Russian taboo words as one from the mob. Funny but doubtful. I do suggest the scriptwriters look for a better piece of historical and cultural advice.
Excruciatingly bad
posted on 25 Mar 2008Virgin Territory, meant to be a romantic sex comedy (though it winds up not being romantic, not being sexy, and certainly not comedy), is simply one of the worst movies I have seen in recent memory. Though I will say, I saw it in a reasonably crowded theater, and most everyone else was laughing all the way through, so I suppose there is still a big audience for recycled, clichéd, and long since stale jokes about anatomy and sex. Hayden Christensen reaffirms that he is one of the most dull and wooden actors out there (how does this guy keep getting work) and Tim Roth must have lost a bet or something to star in something this dreadful. Simply painful to watch.
Were the producers too embarrassed for a theatrical release? (possible spoilers)
posted on 26 Feb 2008"Virgin Territory" stars Hayden Christensen and Mischa Barton (don't laugh), in a rowdy medieval tale in the vein of Monty Python (though not as witty), Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and the Princess Bride. Of course, it begins with Christensen speaking with a believable British accent, which I personally feel he should adopt for all of his movie roles. He sounds more comfortable and realistic than he does using Northern American English. His accent has bothered me for years but strangely he didn't mangle the British one.Well, Virgin Territory surprised me. And I mean I am pleasantly surprised. The movie was filmed two or three years ago and was finally, very quietly released in March 2008 straight to DVD. Were the producers too embarrassed for a theatrical release? They needn't be. I've seen much much worse and for the record, Virgin Territory isn't horrible-bad, but intentionally bad since it's a parody and a sex comedy, its demographics clearly with teenage boys in mind. If any of these actors are Catholic they might be ex-communicated now, with all the sex with nuns, in twosomes and threesomes-- naked peeing cherubs and all.Aside from the questionable Mischa Barton, Virgin Territory manages a reputable cast in Tim Roth, Matthew Rhys and a handful of other actors some of you may recognize.I didn't think it was great, but think it deserved a little more than a straight to DVD release. Some obvious flaws? Mischa Barton's acting was absolutely abysmal. She had no chemistry with Hayden Christensen. The plot was aimless and probably should have been grosser. If you're going to do a dirty sex comedy, you need to bring it or the jokes fall flat.Anyway, it wasn't an entire waste of time. I really wanted to know what was going to happen next. I would recommend it. Just for the giggles. It wasn't great. It wasn't completely horrible. You've seen worse, I'm sure of it. The costumes were nice, the director managed to make the period look real, despite an able Rupert Friend in cornrolls and bad guys in leather jackets designed by Roberto Cavalli.
Not historical, not funny, not Bocaccio
posted on 16 Feb 2008I must confess, I never had a doubtful pleasure of watching movies of this genre before. I wish I could have that virgin state of mine back.I have nothing against making laugh of history. Laugh, I believe, is healthy, just as love is, the idea which was quiet successfully expressed through the movie. However, I'm afraid, this was the only success of Virgin territory.Even when you reduce history to absurdity, you still should remember of history. So if you are trying to convince your audience that you motion take as its stage mid fourteenth century Florence, it is not very smart to show Siena and to have as one of your protagonists Russian count in the age when Russia just had not any of these. I mean what, Florence is so hard to be represented? May be Paris too? And aren't there enough Russians in US to realize that double first name is an awkward nonsense, which is not even funny?And finally, why, for the God sake, even when you decide to use a plot by Bocaccio (in the weirdest way I could imagine, I have to say, but this is really a minor problem) you are not able at least to preserve it's wittiness. You really don't have to be Pasolini for that! You should only read the text. And considering how much of Decameron was used for that movie, there is really not so much of text.
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Not good, not bad, just okay.
posted on 19 Aug 2009I found this film on the shelves of a French hypermarket on a day trip to Calais. Presented in the same font and style as the 'American Pie' films, I have to say that the local French title "Medieval pie - Territoires vierges" did stand out, which was possibly the intention of the DVD marketing company, trying to trade on the success of a similar and more successful series of teen comedy films. Even now, after the event, I'm still not sure whether any of the cast or crew of 'Medieval Pie' have any involvement with the 'American Pie' franchise at all. I'm doubtful. I get the feeling that this movie will be known under a variety of titles in a variety of markets, and that alone should set the alarm bells ringing in the heads of most sane movie reviewers.There are a few familiar faces on display. Hayden Christensen, Mischa Barton and Tim Roth are the three most obvious 'names', with 'Little Britain's' David Walliams appearing in a blink-and-you'll-almost-miss-him cameo. The main problem is that all these actors are playing characters with hard-to-remember names. Barton is Pampinea, Christensen is Lorenzo (who for some reason masquerades as a deaf-and-dumb gardener in a convent where for some reason all the nuns have sex with him, a central joke that gets tired very quickly, even with all the nudity) while Roth is the main villain, Gerbino de la Ratto. I was rather more impressed with Matthew Rhys' Russian Count Dzerzhinsky, who rattled off his name and lineage on several occasions without missing a beat - I could have done with a memory like that to remember exactly who was who. It was a struggle at times.My favourite scene was probably when the two women who get captured (Rosalind Halstead & Kate Groombridge I believe) try and escape by tricking their guards into dropping their trousers and lining up in order of size and then creating an argument about whether you start small and work up, or start large and work down (or even start in the middle!). That was fun. The main love story involving Barton and her three suitors (Christensen, Roth and Rhys) is perhaps not so successful, and the less said about the sex-obsessed nuns the better. It's an old fantasy for sure, imagining what nuns get up to behind closed convent doors, but not especially original.I've seen worse comedies for sure - anything involving Aaron Seltzer & Jason Friedberg for one thing, but I have seen better too. I suppose for the genre it represents, this sits somewhere in the middle of the pack, so even though it did bypass the cinemas and go straight-to-DVD, it's not really that bad. It deserves one viewing at least, but whether it will hold up to multiple screenings is much less certain. I'm not sure it will. I guess what I'm really saying, is wait until the sales - don't pay full price for it - unless you have a thing about nuns getting naked, in which case this is a 10/10 movie for sure. For me though, it's just a five.