Anyone who has read the
Bible knows the story of Noah being given a message from God that he plans to
destroy Earth and purge the sin out, so Noah has been chosen to save what good
is left on Earth, like his family and the animals. This results in Noah going
to build an ark, helped by some ridiculous ‘fallen angel’ rock-monsters. Insert
an army of bellicose men, some hybrid creatures, Anthony Hopkins playing a “Grandfather”
who is a little obsessed with berries and more water than “2012” and “Titanic”
put together, and there’s a sci-fi fantasy version of the Biblical tale.
With so many references
to give the movie is difficult for carrying the ideas during the first act,
large amounts of screen time are spent watching the Noah family wander through
dead wastelands that look like they would not go wrong in “District 9.” As the
children grow into young adults and the first tree springs the story begins to
form and pick up pace, with Emma Watson leaving Hogwarts for more mature roles
proving herself to be more than just the smartest witch of her age. Logan
Lerman does not go wrong either as ‘Ham,’ a charming and kind-hearted young man
with a less than attractive name. Actually, despite the awe-inspiring CGI, this
film is carried entirely by the actors (everyone but Douglas Booth who does
nothing but complain the entire runtime), Russell Crowe controls the story with
such force it’s really difficult to believe that he is the one playing Noah.
Leeson said, “Taking Noah to extreme lengths, Crowe presents him as an utterly
mad extremist, a man set on destroying the entirety of man-kind, as opposed to
the peace keeping Noah people have come to know.” It becomes difficult to agree
with a man so determined for destruction but the good nature of wife Naameh,
played by Jennifer Connelly, rolls in some of his unmatched anger.
Leeson noted, “Long
time collaborator Clint Mansell’s score is also of epic proportions, booming
drums collide with haunting violins to mimic the chaos created by the combined
forces of ‘the creator’ and man. Primarily complimenting the CGI heavy battle
scenes to the highest degree this could be Mansell’s finest Aronofsky
collaboration since Requiem For A Dream.”
The significance and
timing of “Noah,” released in 2014, couldn’t be more on point. Leeson
mentioned, “As previously mentioned the desert barren lands would not look out
of place in one of the many apocalyptic/dystopian films released the past few
years and an under-lying eco warrior message is absolutely apparent.” The events
inside the film could have happened in the past, it could be a fantasy world,
or it could be about to occur (look closely into the landscapes, debris and ‘creation
of life’ montage and see for yourself). Neeson said, “This innovative, if not
completely obvious to all, twist elevates the film from self-indulgent project
to thought provoking and socially conscious.”
“Noah” is hands down
the most heroic of stories to tell, so Aronofsky’s complete determination and
vision alone is worthy of value. Leeson ended her review by saying, “The path
of the story does get lost amongst various colliding ideas at times but his
cast manage to navigate through those tempestuous waters with the grace of a
family who truly deserve to be saved.”
As good as this movie
is, which it “is” a good movie; it really depends heavily on the sci-fi CGI
effects that really deviates it from the Biblical story. I guess people who are
serious of the Biblical tale may find this offensive and will hate it, but
personally, I still think this is a good, emotional movie to check out.
Thank you everyone for
joining in on “Russell Crowe Month.” I hope everyone had a good time and…wait a
minute, next month is October. You know what that means…HALLOWEEN MONTH!!! Look
out and see what films I have in store for you.
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