Splendorous Alexander The Great Irishman

Rating: 7/10 (22 January 2005)

Oliver Stone is Oliver Stone. When you go to see one of his films you know you'll enter unknown territory. I though that was what movies were all about. A personal vision. Not documentaries or Sunday school classes. Richard Attenborough's "Ghandi" was that, and as a consequence Oscars, praises, oodles of cash. Ben Kingsley was superb but the title character is treated as if nobody had ever heard of "Ghandi" the same can be said of another Attenborough biopic: "Chaplin". No, Oliver Stone gives his audience a little bit more credit and, naturally, he is paying the consequences. I think the film is mind blowing. Arbitrary? Yes, beautifully so. Even the accents of the actors is one of the many strokes of genius. Within its historical context those characters spoke with different accents. They were in the ultimate melting pot. Colin Farrell bold portrayal, Irish accent and all is bound to leave its mark. Oliver Stone took every imaginable risk and I for one, applaud him with a loud Long Live the Cinema.