One big 'meh'...

Rating: 6/10 (7 February 2002)

Ay, carumba... I was looking forward to this film, as I generally like these types of films, and I was thinking it would contain some epic qualities of action, intrigue, characterization, etc. However, this was one big 'meh', and I ended up regretting the time it took to watch over a few days during my lunch hour!
The picture just wasn't very exciting or interesting. There was nothing in it that I didn't expect to happen as I watched it. The characters were predictably bland. Even the fight scenes were rather ho-hum. Just a lot of bashing and blood, which is probably what it really was like, but you know, in a film, you expect some more kind of essence or drama to it. The final fight between Maximus and Commodus? Who cared, by that point? There was very little artistry or drama to something that should have been quite a powerful confrontation... I agree with Roger Ebert's review that the look of it was very dark and bland and depressing, both visually and in terms of character.
What's really baffling is how this was awarded best picture of the year, and Crowe as best actor, and that what's his name playing Commodus was even nominated for an Oscar! Yikes. I mean, I suppose it may have been a weak year, and you certainly can't count on the Best Picture being the 'best picture', but you expect it to at least have something significant to it. This had very, very little to it. I think of just two years ago, when the Best Pic noms were - Shakespeare in Love, Life is Beautiful, Saving Private Ryan, Elizabeth and Thin Red Line. Every one of those movies had so much more to them than this film does. It's almost ridiculous, the difference there. Not to mention others that weren't even nominated that year, like Truman Show and Gods and Monsters...
Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix (that's his name!) were both rather unspectacular, mumbling their way through their lines like David Mamet's mock GREAT ACTOR would. (It's no wonder they were rewarded so!) They just didn't really cement themselves into those roles, particularly Phoenix. I can think of several others who could have done that part, and might have been more interesting. Then again, it could have been the direction, or the script, but his character actually seemed to have some of the more interesting things to say, so that probably rules that out. And it's not so much that Crowe was bad in the part, but it just wasn't that much of a part. He fights, he looks veangeful and sad, he mumbles a few lines, he fights some more, he longs for his family, fights some more... Not all that much to dig into, really. I haven't seen The Insider or A Beautiful Mind yet, but I must imagine that there's a lot more for him to have been 'best actor' for in those characters and films.
There were some little things here and there that were alright, and some of the minor characters did well, but on the whole, a pretty big waste of time to watch...
-EE-