It works!

Rating: 8/10 (29 November 2004)

This movie is a nice surprise; after all horrible Hollywood trash about Ancient World (like 'Troy') we are getting a film which is relatively honest with history - at least, it doesn't have any obvious glaring mistakes. It is anti-war - yet battles are very impressive. It is, in short, about illusions and how people lose them - the main illusion being Alexander's idea that he can 'free' - liberate - the whole world. Very American, and very naive - and that's exactly what the director wants us to understand. The rest - 'gay' relationships with friends etc is, a) immaterial - they just help to show that the her is not happy, which is natural for a king; b) historically true. Alexander is shown as a week, troubled, but personally charming and charismatic human being: no stupid pathos or attempts to idealize him, which is nice. Colin Farrell is VERY good - in fact, despite his Irish looks, he manages to look like Alexander on his existing portraits and also to look very Greek - as some genuine statues and mosaics. He also shows good complex acting - his Alexander is a man with problems and
not just a cartoon. Yet - no hamming or OVER-acting, which is a credit to young actor, too. Val Kilmer as Alexander's father is splendid. Angelina Jolie is not so good, and there is too much of her. A very good film - long, but not boring, sad, but not tearful. In short, it shows that great director and fine actors can make even film about Alexander the Great work - a fact which never yet happened in movie history (just for comparison, see 'Alexander the Great' with Richard Burton - and see just how bad it was and just how good Colin Farrell is).