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Another 'restful' weekend done, heh. B-Movie not entirely fun on Friday night: a hectic Saturday daytime, followed by splendid party in Cambridge (thanks ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
major_clanger and bugshaw!) at which I fear I wasn't my best: a hectic Sunday daytime (curses on Access 2000 / Plymouth City Council / Windows Media Player), followed by Troy.
This review contains no spoilers (unless you thought Orlando Bloom could act).
Have seen several negative reviews of this, and I had my own reservations about Brad Pitt: but I enjoyed it a great deal. It's long -- 2 hours 40 minutes -- and the music irritated me most of the time (quite aside from being mixed too loud), but I was engaged from start to finish.
It is not a film version of the Iliad: the credits claim it was 'inspired by', and that's about the right level. I was, let's say, continually surprised by how events unfolded. There is some fine acting, too, from Peter O'Toole as Priam, Rose Byrne as Briseis, and Brian Cox as Agamemnon: and especially from Eric Bana (Hector) who I'd never really considered as much more than an action-movie hero. Meanwhile, Orlando Bloom and Brad Pitt look their parts.
Considerable liberties have been taken with the events of the Iliad, but the film Troy holds together fairly well as a dramatic whole. Fewer loose ends. Motivations rather clearer. Hardly any tricky Bronze-Age concepts.
Was slightly distracted by the discovery that in the ancient world, the sun rose in the west. But only slightly.
I wish I'd had time to enjoy the sunshine, or catch up on my sleep, or even finish the 'to do' list. I wish I could move without it hurting. On the bright side, the walk across Chelsea Bridge will be glorious!
major_clanger and bugshaw!) at which I fear I wasn't my best: a hectic Sunday daytime (curses on Access 2000 / Plymouth City Council / Windows Media Player), followed by Troy. This review contains no spoilers (unless you thought Orlando Bloom could act).
Have seen several negative reviews of this, and I had my own reservations about Brad Pitt: but I enjoyed it a great deal. It's long -- 2 hours 40 minutes -- and the music irritated me most of the time (quite aside from being mixed too loud), but I was engaged from start to finish.
It is not a film version of the Iliad: the credits claim it was 'inspired by', and that's about the right level. I was, let's say, continually surprised by how events unfolded. There is some fine acting, too, from Peter O'Toole as Priam, Rose Byrne as Briseis, and Brian Cox as Agamemnon: and especially from Eric Bana (Hector) who I'd never really considered as much more than an action-movie hero. Meanwhile, Orlando Bloom and Brad Pitt look their parts.
Considerable liberties have been taken with the events of the Iliad, but the film Troy holds together fairly well as a dramatic whole. Fewer loose ends. Motivations rather clearer. Hardly any tricky Bronze-Age concepts.
Was slightly distracted by the discovery that in the ancient world, the sun rose in the west. But only slightly.
I wish I'd had time to enjoy the sunshine, or catch up on my sleep, or even finish the 'to do' list. I wish I could move without it hurting. On the bright side, the walk across Chelsea Bridge will be glorious!
