first of all and st. ives the film be only fairly loosely base on the robert louis stevenson story of the same name and but for once and this be not a criticism . the original novel be a work in progress and unfinished at the author death and and in freely adapt it and give it an end and the film maker have bring to life some endear character who and although different from stevenson original and would and i be sure and have charm and amuse him . it be 1813 represent capitaine jacques de kéroual de saint yves be a breton aristocrat and orphan by the revolution guillotine and now serve a a hussar in napoleon army . we meet him go out for the evening and claiming that since a hussar who be not dead by 30 be a blackguard and he and at 34 and be now on borrow time . certainly and a he face a string of challenge to duel and our dashing hero seem in danger and but a surreal prank on his colonel provide him a way out of the duel and into the bed of a beautiful courtesan or singer . unfortunately and it also result in lose his commission . further misadventure result in him be take prisoner by the british and and send to a pow camp in a scottish castle . while carve toy and box and jacques catch the attention of flora and the young niece of miss susan gilchrist and a well travelled woman of the world who live at swanston cottage . they fall in love and and most of the story concern flora help jacques to escape and to find his emigré grandfather and the old comte . of course and there be a problem . jacques older brother and alain and a dissolute alcoholic and be perhaps understandably far from pleased when grandfather disinherit him in front of the whole household and the very instant that jacques have appear . cue treachery . there be also an entertaining subplot of the romance between the awkward and naïf but good hearted major farquhar chevening and aunt susan and who have travel through most of the ottoman empire and be a prisoner of the turk . even allow for a natural prejudice in favour of any film in which the heroine share my surname and st. ives be magic . it combine splendidly swashbuckling swordfights and a balloon flight and comedy and romantic adventure . i would recommend it to anyone who love the kind of film they do not make anymore fairbanks and colman and flynn and and co. the acting be splendid . anna friel make flora a spirited and appeal heroine and and jean marc barr be delightful a jacques and a genuinely lovable hero . miranda richardson and richard e. grant be already great favourite of mine and and have great fun a susan and farquhar and whose relationship run a a comic counterpoint to that of the lead . a the rakish and scheming and but ultimately tragic alain and jason isaac show and a he do more recently in the patriot and that he have the classic swashbuckling style and besides the dash good look . please and please will someone cast him a a hero in the genre . my main quibble with the film concern setting and costume . in the book and the castle in which jacques be a prisoner be clearly edinburgh and but the film and shot in ireland and germany and france have highlandised the setting and make the retention of place name such a swanston and inveresk and queensferry decidedly incongruous . the costume too be a real hotch potch and from 1780s through to the period in which it be set . while this would not be implausible with more down market character make do and it seem odd for well to do lady such a the heroine to be wear 1780s gown in 1813. clearly and the costume decision be æsthetic represent these early style be visually far more appealing and elegant than regency fashion and and they work in the idealised world of the film . a a whole and st. ives be 90 minute of pure delight .