Well-intentioned but clumsy

Rating: 6/10 (14 December 2015)

Well-intentioned but clumsy.
It is 1919 and, after his wife's death, an Australian man, Connor (played by Russell Crowe), goes to Turkey to find the graves and remains of the three sons he lost at Gallipoli in World War 1.
The movie is a bit of a hit-and-miss affair. The search for his sons (which turns out to be much more complicated than anticipated) is quite an emotional journey. Along the way we see how they died, and experience the wastefulness and futility of war. We also see the war from the eyes of Turkish people, who also lost many loved ones in the war, often to Australians.
On the other hand, many of the scenes don't seem written or staged well, giving the movie a rickety sort of feel. The whole romance angle seems out of place too.
Overall, a decent and watchable attempt by Russell Crowe on his directorial debut. A bit more tightness in the script and polish in direction and this would have been a great movie.