Not the film it should have been

Rating: 3/10 (6 August 2006)

I have to say that I was really quite alarmed, not to mention disappointed, at how poor this film generally was. It would have worked better as an epic, historical action film which examines the true character of the film's main figure. However, Oliver Stone attempted to incorporate several confusing, drawn out personal incidents and strained relationships into the film, with the incidental backdrop of war and the conquering of enormous countries. As a result, Stone essentially neglects to tell the story of how Alexander came to be such an all-conquering warrior, and gives the illusion that his conquests were made simply by turning up.
One of the main issues with the film is that the central characters - despite their lengthy screen time and the numerous incidents each is embroiled in - are never stripped bare for the viewer for long enough for them to be more than two dimensional. For example, Alexander's volatile relationship with his father is baffling throughout the movie, swinging as it does between mutual affection and abject hatred. Similarly, it is never explained fully as to why his mother is quite so scheming and harbours so much anger towards his father.
All these things aside, the true problem with the film is the standard of the acting. Being a high-strung drama, it requires performances that are sincere whilst also not patronising or over-cooking it for the viewer. Unfortunately, the film does not possess a single strong performance. Colin Farrell is uncomfortable, if willing, in the lead role, a fact not helped by the Director's decision to make Alexander's male friends and generals speak with Northern Irish accents so as not to draw attention to Farrell's own accent. Val Kilmer is hackneyed and perhaps mis-cast as Alexander's father, and Angelina Jolie's performance as Farrell's mother is bordering on the catastrophic. Despite her wicked beauty, she demonstrates that she has neither the versatility nor earnestness to act at this level.
Finally, the simple presentation of the movie is flawed. The opening scenes, which show Anthony Hopkins in one of his more pointless roles, are set against a computer-generated backdrop which could not have looked less real had it been a charcoal drawing. Later scenes, whilst expensively produced, give the impression, perhaps deliberately, of theatrical stage scenery. If this is intended, then it is negated by the lengthy scenes outdoors, which again feature unwelcome CGI.
On the whole, the film is actually rather dull. It does not present its subject matter with sufficient power to hold the viewer's interest and the 2 hours, 30 mins running time leaves you longing for an end. The one scene that is worth seeing is one in which Alexander and his horse square up to an Indian soldier on an elephant. Unusually for the film, it is beautifully shot and wonderfully engaging. But it lasts only a few seconds.