Lots to recommend, but...

Rating: 7/10 (29 December 2014)

This film has a lot to recommend it. The beautiful saturated palette, the fact that it gives (rarely for a Gallipoli-themed movie) a good dose of the Turkish perspective (including a salient reminder that "You invaded us") and a powerful central theme. Crowe's performance is nicely understated for the most part and it was great to see Jacqueline McKenzie back on the big screen, if only briefly. At under two hours long it is just the right length too. It falls apart in the last half hour however, as Crowe turns all Indiana Jones for no particular reason and the love interest subplot just becomes silly – especially in the final shot of the picture. Could have been better.