Tag: Russell Crowe

Aronofsky’s Noah Short Review

On By filmrollerIn action, dice roll: 4, drama, fantasy, radio reviewLeave a comment

noah-posterI remember actually enjoying certain Biblical stories as a child. My favourite was an illustrated version of Samson, which I guess technically makes him my first superhero. Hollywood once knew why the Bible was perfect for the screen, and Aronofsky is apparently the one to remind them, which he undeniably does.

The traditional story of Noah is adapted and embellished in the film, titled simply Noah. The trailer hints at a lot of the additions, but I still wasn’t prepared for how original the story looked. The rock-angels are probably the biggest surprise. Fallen angels who turn to stone upon impact, they now wander the earth being bitter about their decision to help humanity. Noah and his family are far more complex than I expected as well. This isn’t so much a story about saving the animals or surviving the flood, it’s about one man’s struggle with interpreting the Creator’s will, how his family deal with his conviction, and humanity’s capacity for good.

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A Weird Winter’s Tale

On By filmrollerIn dice roll: 3, drama, fantasy, radio reviewLeave a comment

hr_Winters_Tale_1I knew absolutely nothing about the film Winter’s Tale when I sat down in the theatre. The title made me think of adventures in the snow, maybe some sweet story set in winter, but what I got was very different from expected. I think not knowing anything about it made it an experience I won’t forget, but I’m not sure that makes it a good movie.

The story, when I explained it simply, is a fairy-tale romance. A young orphaned thief falls in love with a dying girl. It turns out the evil forces of the universe (read demons and Satan) doesn’t want him to save her, because they’re all about destroying all the good in the world.

When I tried to explain the details, including which actors are playing the different roles, I got a reaction somewhere between skepticism and laughter. Colin Farrell plays the lover of Jessica Findley (Lady Sybil from Downton Abbey) and although the age-difference isn’t a stretch in Hollywood, it still felt odd compared to all the other supernatural romances with young, unknown, actors in them. Then we have Russell Crowe as an Irish gangster-boss/demon. And it’s all set in 1913, Brooklyn. Oh, and Will Smith is Satan. That’s when I lost most people.

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Man of Steel

On By filmrollerIn action, dice roll: 5, review1 Comment

ManofSteelThis summer has been a block-bustingly good summer so far. I admit to being a bit franchise-blinded these days. In about a year’s time, there is no doubt that some of these generous dice-rolls will have to be downgraded. Predicting future favourites is hard, but I suspect I’m more likely to do an Iron Man marathon than a new Star Trek one, even though I love them both right now to the point of irrationality.

Hopes were therefore ridiculously high for my next summer fling, with lots of fangirling on tumblr hyping it up. I did try not to put Man of Steel on a pedestal, but I also know how much I “just like liking things”. In the end, I came out of the cinema having had a good time, but in retrospect the film left me puzzled.

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