Good Film; Could have been great - Lousy Director

Rating: 8/10 (18 May 2004)

"Troy" is one of those movies that is enjoyable but frustrating - frustrating because, in the hands of a better director, it could have been magic.
While Wolfgang Peterson delivers a handsome cast, some breath taking battle scenes, and some quite effective CGI, he never fully realises the scope of the story he is telling. Instead he lets an appalling musical score (queue the romantic music; queue the fight music, and don't get me started on the dreadful closing song); some jarring camera work that is more reminiscent of a 70's cop show than an epic; and some truly cheesy dialogue, intrude on the flow of the film. I could swear some of the dialogue at the end of the movie comes straight from an episode of "The Bold and Beautiful"
But, it's not all bad news, Sean Bean once again manages to turn in a charismatic performance that all but steals the movie, and Orlando Bloom manages the near impossible with his sympathetic portrayal of Paris. (Even if it was a trifle distracting having him using a feather and bow so soon after playing Legolas).
The other great surprise is Eric Bana as Hector! In Australia, Bana is best known for his work as a stand up comedian - I couldn't take him seriously as a movie star - but a movie star he is. He manages to convey a gamut of emotions without saying a word, and the Hector/Archilles fight scene is a show stopper!
Peter O'Toole, Brian Cox, Rose Byrne and Saffron Burrows also give moving understated performances - despite a script designed to wring every emotion from you.
And as for Pitt - though his performance is occasionally off key - the man looks like a God, he moves like a God, I can't think of anyone who could have played the role with anywhere as much style.
I just wish Peter Jackson or Ridley Scott had been behind the camera.