Alexander..what is the consensus?

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Bemopti123

Alexander..what is the consensus?
« on: 27 Nov 2004, 12:23 am »
Watched it today, could have been better, but do not know how...could have been worse in many ways.  The reviews are unanimous....about its blunder.  What is your take?

JoshK

Alexander..what is the consensus?
« Reply #1 on: 27 Nov 2004, 01:07 am »
i heard from a friend that the acting was pretty awful.  Judging by the previews of angelina's accent I would guess they were probably right.   My friends didn't like it because the story of Alex was really told due to cutting up the film to make it shorter.  So they said it was a little too disjoint.  They said to rent it.

wshuff

Alexander..what is the consensus?
« Reply #2 on: 27 Nov 2004, 03:02 am »
The biggest problem that my wife and I had with the story is that Stone essentially skipped the parts of Alexander's life where he proved his greatness.  After Phillip's death he skips straight ahead to Gaugamela, the decisive victory over Darius and the Persians.  The problem is that Alexander took the throne in 336 B.C., Gaugamela came in 331.  So Stone leaves out five important years which included two major battles at the Granicus River and Issus, the siege of Phoenician Tyre, Alexander's trip to the Siwah oasis.  For those who aren't familiar with the history, they'll wonder just what it was that Alexander did to be recognized as great, and you don't get a sense of how brilliant he was as a general.

The other problem is that Stone focused too much on Alexander's sexuality, particularly his (probable) relationships with men, including his lifelong friend Hephaestion.  The problem for me is that by focusing on that particular aspect of Alexander's life, Stone made it seem as if Alexander's sexuality was out of the ordinary, when in fact it was common in the Greek world of the time.  Furthermore, in order to emphasize what was going on he made Hephaestion very feminine, which I doubt is accurate given that the guy was one of the commanders of the Companion cavalry.

Stone also has to be Stone and throw in some conspiracy theory.  I suppose there has always been speculation about such things as who exactly was responsible for Phillip's death, was Hephaestion murdered, was Alexander poisoned, but the sources are ambiguous at best.

Despite all these things, I enjoyed the movie, but I think that I've given Stone a pass simply because I enjoy the subject so much.  And I have to say that the battle of Gaugamela was done well, and was more or less as I had envisioned after reading various accounts of the battle.  Unfortunatley, the last battle against Porus was not very accurate, although exciting.

It doesn't surprise me that the critics don't like Alexander, and I don't think it will make much money.  For all the star power, I just don't see it as a commercial movie.  If you aren't already a fan of Alexander and interested in seeing a story about him, I don't think it has the draw of say, The Lord of the Rings, or even National Treasure.

PhilNYC

Alexander..what is the consensus?
« Reply #3 on: 27 Nov 2004, 03:56 am »
I just have a hard time looking at Colin Farrell and taking him seriously as someone like Alexander the Great.  As a hipster like in Phone Booth or a detective like in Minority Report, he can pull off.  But an ancient great leader?  I also had a hard time with him as Bullseye in Daredevil (I had a lot of problems with the casting in Daredevil)....Farrell just seems too wimpy to me.

dogberry

Alexander..what is the consensus?
« Reply #4 on: 27 Nov 2004, 12:43 pm »
I cannot stand Colin Ferrel.  Stone hasn't made a good movie since Platoon.

PhilNYC

Alexander..what is the consensus?
« Reply #5 on: 27 Nov 2004, 01:23 pm »
Quote from: dogberry
Stone hasn't made a good movie since Platoon.


I liked Natural Born Killers and U-Turn...

Hantra

Alexander..what is the consensus?
« Reply #6 on: 27 Nov 2004, 03:38 pm »
Quote from: dogberry
I cannot stand Colin Ferrel.  Stone hasn't made a good movie since Platoon.


I hate Ferrel too.  He's just irritating, and I'm freaking Irish!  And it's only going to get worse.  They say he has a full frontal shot in a new movie coming out.  So we should be hearing more and more about this POS.

I also liked U-Turn.

Rob Babcock

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Alexander..what is the consensus?
« Reply #7 on: 28 Nov 2004, 04:34 am »
Natural Born Killers was, by far & bar none, the worst movie I've ever seen in my entire life! :x   I nearly walked out several times.  I guess "The Doors" was the last movie by Stone that I liked, although I'll admit that one wasn't a masterpeice (I just think Kilmer was amazing, as usual).

I haven't seen it, but the reviews haven't been that kinds.  Ferrell does seem like a real  :scratch:  of a choice to play Alexander, too.  So far nothing he's done has impressed me much (I absolutely cringe at his buttpuckeringly awful "Bullseye" in DD).  If he needed a big name he shoulda asked Brad Pitt.  He probably still has his six-pack & sandals from Troy. :wink:

BTW, I agree it's criminal not to include the seige of Tyre in the film- that was one of Alexanders most astonishing victories, IMO.