Note: this movie was viewed in its original version, french language.This movie was awsome. The story never has a dull moment. The villains are great and the good guys play their roles well. It is different from american movies in a good way. It has romance, vengeance and loyalty as themes...and also a lot of action. You will be pleased.

I just finished watching On Guard and the first thought that went through my mind was "why don't they make films like this anymore?"This is swashbuckling tale, yes but its more than that. This film has a refined, beautiful soul, that makes it as much as tale of love between two people, as its is a tale of action and adventure. There a happy thread of down to earth playfulness and definite humour that runs through this film too, further infusing it with warmth and character. Speaking of characterizations, they are right on the money. Daniel Auteuil is perfect as the chivalrous but humble lead, whilst Marie Gillain offers charm and innocence, as the girl he pledges to protect. I really adore this film and wish we could see more like it, in a decade that seems long on cynicism and short on hope and love. Ten out of ten from me.

I personally think that the director perfectly captured the psychological struggle traumatized children who lost their parents at an early age endure. A struggle which is essentially one of the main themes of this movie, next to the betrayal-theme. While I agree with most of the reviews already expressed here, I would like to suggest a different approach to the already heavily discussed relationship between Aurora and her ward, Lagardère. From a psychoanalytical point of view, this relationship, and especially the strange twist at the finale of the movie, can be perfectly explained. Aurora was traumatized from a very early age when she lost her father and mother in a stressful battle. During the following years, she believed Lagardère was her father. When this turned out to be untrue, she fears to lose the connection with her father figure once again. Triggered by this primordial fear, Aurora's subconsciousness quickly directs her towards the only mature fatherly like persona she knows, Lagardère. But in a different kind of relationship where he can still exercise the role of protector and caretaker, i.e. as a lover.

Not a deep film in any sense but a magnificently entertaining one nevertheless. Witty and fast-paced, it bears comparison with the highly popular 'Taxi' films. Probably my favourite French film in terms of the sheer pleasure it has given me.Set in the France of Louis XIV and the Regency which followed his death c.1699 - c.1720, it contains a fair degree of historical accuracy. Philippe d'Orleans, Regent of France (Philippe Noiret) has a central role as the arbiter of justice who ultimately allows good to triumph over evil. This is an unabashedly romantic view of absolutist France and one should not delve too deeply into the world that is recreated here. Like Robin Hood movies, the historical backcloth provides the setting for a good swashbuckle with an underdog hero eventually triumphing over a high-born villain against all the odds.The later plot revolves around the Louisiana scheme which saw fortunes won and lost in an early example of stock market speculation - a French equivalent of the British South Sea Bubble.It is also a buddy movie with the main hero (Daniel Auteuil) striking up a friendship across the class barrier with the Duc de Nevers who reveals the secret Nevers sword thrust, a leitmotif which starts and ends the film and helps the (19-year?) time span hang together.Never's scheming cousin murders him in order to inherit his fortune and the film quickly turns into a revenge movie. Auteuil saves Nevers' baby girl and heir and plots to topple the villain and to restore her to her rightful place.Towards the end the film becomes heavily romantic and reviewers have questioned the plausibility of the resulting relationship. It is perhaps the weakest part of the plot.The catchy score helps the film to bowl along in a relatively light-hearted way. Despite a lot of villainy and murder, the film's main tenor is one of unremitting fun. Were it being acted out on stage it would almost be a farce. Simply wonderful!