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Some movies are a tough sell. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. The idea is intriguing. The cast is solid. But investing the time just seems like a lot of effort. They are the kind of movie you have to be in a mood for. The Reckoning is one of those movies.

Let's get to the first criteria - the intriguing idea. A disgraced priest on the run from his past meets up with a group of traveling actors in search of their next performance. He joins the troupe, they find their way to a village rocked by the recent murders of some of it's children and they decide to put on a play depicting these murders. But something happens along the way - they learn that their play isn't accurate. So, they do a little investigating, and soon they uncover the plot behind the murders - and it reaches to the heights of the church and the monarchy. Sounds intriguing? Check.

Next criteria - the solid cast. We've got Paul Bettany as the disgraced priest. Bettany has come out of relative obscurity to become one of the better acting imports these last few years. A Beautiful Mind. Master and Commander. Can he make it without Russell Crowe, you ask? It's a good bet. (It doesn't hurt either that he's involved with Jennifer Connelly, one of the world's most beautiful actresses.) Add to the mix the always dependable Willem Dafoe, Vincent Cassel and Brian Cox, who has emerged the in the last few years as one of Hollywood's go-to character guys (X2, The Bourne series and The Ring among others) and you've met the next criteria.

Now here's the tough part - selling the movie. Is it worth my time? Not really an action movie. Not really a comedy. A little drama - a little history. Boring - maybe yes, maybe no. And this is why it depends on my mood. And this is why the movie is a tough sell. It's not the kind of film I'm gonna rush out to see. Instead, it has to catch me in the right mood.

Fortunately, I was in the right mood when I slipped this one into the DVD player. And to tell the truth, I enjoyed it. The actors made the story sufficiently interesting and the story delivered with the promised intrigue. And, it helped that the suspense was enough to hold my interest until the very end. Normally, I would try to guess the ending (most movies are predictable that way) but this one kept me guessing. Kudos.

Unfortunately for the DVD, we don't get any special features. We do, however, get a number of previews for this and some related titles. And it made me realize what good movies Paramount Classics is pumping out. Northfork. The United States of Leland. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. As somewhat of a movie trailer aficionado, I can say that these all look like great movies.

So if you're in the mood, The Reckoning is one to watch. An intriguing story delivered solidly by a great cast.