Absolutely stunning!

Rating: 9/10 (13 October 2006)

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I don't remember how many times I've watched it by now. The actors, the attention to plot and historical accuracy...Stone has really done it well. Now I know many people, in the US especially, didn't like this movie. That's OK, I didn't like Troy -it was travesty in my opinion. But back to the movie at hand. Alexander is a complex story with lots of subplots and nuances that the original length just cannot do enough justice. Many people complained the movie was too long, to me it was not long enough. I could have stood it to be two movies instead of one just to get more of this great story.
All in all though -it was a very, very, very good film. I'd have given it a 10, but for the kiss-that-was-not. I mean, come on, do it or don't do it. The looks, the touches, the hugs. I swear to god there were more hugs in that movie than any I've ever seen. Don't get me wrong -I'm not against hugging, but it becomes rather painful to watch when the characters are supposed to be lovers. It's not like anyone can kid themselves about what kind of relationship between Hephaistion and Alexander that Stone wanted to portray. Couldn't he just have taken the leap for real and let the guys kiss, just once, in the whole movie? I mean even Mulder and Scully kissed in that X-files movie years ago and that was by far the most platonic relationship with sexual undercurrents I'd ever seen on screen. Never mind the fact that Farrel/Leto kissing would be hot, I'm not going to lie and say it wouldn't, but that's actually besides the point. What is the point is that two lovers, in private, do not simply share hugs all the time. Especially after having declared their undying devotion to each other (think the balcony scene, where Hephaistion even vexes on lyrically about Alexander's physical features), it's simply ridiculous. It's not like the movie was ever going to be mainstream popular anyway, maybe actually having a kiss would even have afforded it some (additional) respect.
But enough about the loving or lack of it. As I said -it's a great movie with great actors. Anthony Hopkins is a wonderful story teller and a great way of progressing this epic story. (Because really, how long would it have had to be if we didn't have a narrator?) Angelina Jolie's powerful portrayal of Olympia is very (I've already overused the word I know) nice. She's a strong willed woman in a difficult position, a product of the times, but not willing to just be the trophy wife, wanting something more. She's fiercely protective of her son, which is understandable. Alexander is also her insurance, as long as he's alive and safe in the succession order she's relatively safe as well. There are some Oedipal tendencies in the story, but I honestly can't tell if it's intentional or if it's just Farrel/Jolie on screen at the same time that does it. Val Kilmer makes for a wonderfully human king Philip. He's a hard man with many faults, but he's also a product of the times and circumstances and in his own way he tries to be the best man he can be, that he can bear to be. Farrel as Alexander was pure genius. So what if (it led to?) the whole cast was speaking with Irish accents, it's not like they could speak ancient Greek after all. The mixture of softness, charm and intelligence with a violent temper as well as the natural petulance afforded any young man at that age with that upbringing was very well done indeed. Jared Leto as Hephaistion, well what can I say, Stone lucked out with that one. Leto IS Hephaistion, everything clicks, it's that simple. The quiet strength, the careful challenging of Alexander's ideas at every turn while still being utterly supporting. Beautiful, simply stunning. Roxanne (I'm sorry I don't remember the name of the actor even though she's very good)is fierce and beautiful and hard, like a mountain princess is supposed to be. She knows what's going on and she's not happy with her place, but she knows it could be a whole hell of a lot worse.
The battles, there are two and in my opinion that's all we need. We get what's going on after all. There could be more, I wouldn't mind it, as long as it didn't take time away from the actual plot. Are they very great looking? Well no, they could be better, but they're not exactly bad either.
If you didn't get it, let me just reiterate -I love this movie. It's a fantastic movie. As long as you watch the original and not the second 'director's cut', which was, yeah new heights of pathetic, talk about being ruled by opinion. It's about the only director's cut I've ever heard of where the end result is actually SHORTER than the original. Tragic. I AM however looking forward to the third cut which Mr. Stone promised would be how HE wanted it to look instead of being swayed by critics and popular opinion. Here's to hoping he includes a kiss. According to an interview I read with Farrel (in a European magazine) there actually were scenes like that shot. ^o^ I don't have a lot of faith, but...I do have a great deal of hope.