Fortune disfavors the self indulgent.

Rating: 6/10 (27 November 2004)

Some nice moments are lost in the polemic and the flashbacks to flashbacks. Stone does well with subjects he understands (Vietnam), less well with subjects he has only a preconception or passing knowledge of (JFK and Nixon), and definitely strikes out with ancient history. Colin Farrell shows no hint of Alexander's genius in his portrayal. Angelina Jolie, camp or not, I found surprisingly effective as the ultimate stage mother. My suggestions for improvement: cut 30 minutes and find someone with more charisma to play the lead. And by the way, why the Irish accents among the lesser players? What's next, a remake of Cleopatra?