"Alexander" - the Great, the Good or Not Good Enough?"

Rating: 4/10 (18 March 2006)

"Coming out of tiny Macedonia, Alexander (356-323 B.C.), led his armies against the mighty Persian Empire, drove west to Egypt, and finally made his way east to India. This film will concentrate on those eight years of battles, as well as his relationship with his boyhood friend and battle mate, Hephaestion. Alexander died young, of illness, at 33."
The good: Young Alexander calms and rides wild black stallion Bucephalus; Val Kilmer as Alexander's warrior father Phillip shows the boy cave drawings of Greek myths which presage Alexander's life... Two battles - the first at Gaugamela where young Alexander defeated King Darius and the second - magnificent and spectacular battle of Alexander's army against elephants in India with the unforgettable shot of Alexander on his horse against the huge animal; the surreal atmosphere of the last battle thanks to the color red that dominated the scene as seen through the eyes of the wounded Alexander. Legendary Babylon with its Tower and the hanging Gardens is breathtaking as it is shown in the movie. Angelina Jolie was regal....when her mouth was shut and here I come to the bad and the ridiculous. Who on earth decided that the Queen of the Ancient Macedonia in the 4th Century B.C.) should speak with the most horrible imitation of an Eastern European accent ever on the screen? The scenes between Jolie and Farrell made me laugh - so bizarre and ludicrous they were. Besides, even if I assume that Olimpias had Alexander when she was very young, 15 or 16, she did not change a bit when he was 25, and they looked together like a brother and a sister or two lovers - not like a mother and son. The real problem is that with all the and passion for his project and its subject, Stone could not make his overlong (almost three hours) movie as interesting and convincing as just some of its parts are. I have nothing against non-linear structure - when it works but here it was distracting and confusing - the only way to realize where and when you were was by watching the length of Alexander's hair. As for Farrell in the titular role, he was not bad - he is just not charismatic enough. I could not help thinking of another Alexander the Great project - Baz Luhrman's with Leonardo DiCaprio - who is a better actor and who was incredibly good in the last year's "The Aviator"... Well, quoting one of my favorite critics, "the movie has some interesting moments but you can find something better to do with this part of your life."
4.5/10