A beautiful, inspiring film

Rating: 9/10 (28 August 2011)

A beautiful,insightful and very moving film which is a joy to watch. The script and direction are superb and the film zips along at a 'page-turning' rate which will continually have you asking 'what happens next' as it is a rolled up thriller, love story and biography in one. For me, it was also a revelation in terms of Russell Crowe as an actor. I had admired his playing in 'Gladiator' and thought he was good fun to watch in 'Master and Commander' (while, on the other hand, I had thought his 'Robein Hood' was a disaster and a waste of talent all round - not least for including the usually marvellous Cate Blanchett in its proceedings as well!) In this film, though, Crowe is a revelation and shows some of the best movie screen acting I have ever witnessed. His portrayal of the lead character is achingly beautiful, with many high points (culminating in his 'Nobel Acceptance Speech' which had me on the verge of tears!) A marvellous film all round!