It's been four long years since Darren Aronofsky directed a movie, and I must say that waiting for one of your favorite directors to return isn't an easy thing to do. I can only imagine how Terrence Malick fans felt when he took a twenty year break between Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line. After waiting long enough, it comes to a point where you don't care what movie the director brings, as long as they return. Aronofsky has returned with Noah, and I'm glad.
Aronofskys last film was Black Swan. Remember? That sexy, wild and hypnotic psycho-sexual thriller that won Natalie Portman an Oscar? Yeah, of course you do. How could you forget it? Let's just say, Aronofsky left on a high note(it's his best movie). And what I've learned is that once a director makes something special, it's expected every time. So, how does Noah rank? Well, it's not as good as his great films, like Black Swan, Requiem For a Dream, and The Wrestler. But it's more ambitious than any of those, and it's ambitious enough to make it special.
The last time he tried a movie like this was The Fountain, a movie that die-hards like myself enjoyed, but that's it. It had a lot of flaws. Noah also makes an occasional stumble, but it's still good. Basically, Aronofsky takes the tale of Noah (played to perfection by Russell Crowe, in his best performance in a while), and adds his own story lines to it. A risky move, but one that works.
I watched Noah as a movie, not from the biblical standpoint. From the biblical standpoint, it's way off. But the movie is entertaining. The visual effects are spectacular and the acting, particularly from Crowe and Ray Winstone as the villain, is dead on. Also, there are nearly too many powerful moments.
Not everyone is going to enjoy Noah, but that's OK. I thing Aronofsky knew that going in. He's a man with a vision, and not everyone likes his vision. He has a strange way of telling stories. I went along with his vision and had a hell of a time. It falls short of greatness, but it lands into the damn good category. If Noah was trimmed and a little more faithful to the source material, then it would've been better. I guess there is one thing to gather here: if you give a visionary filmmaker four years and a zillion dollars, then something good will come out of it. And that is the case with Noah. It's not as great as I hoped, but it's good enough.
A-
Aronofskys last film was Black Swan. Remember? That sexy, wild and hypnotic psycho-sexual thriller that won Natalie Portman an Oscar? Yeah, of course you do. How could you forget it? Let's just say, Aronofsky left on a high note(it's his best movie). And what I've learned is that once a director makes something special, it's expected every time. So, how does Noah rank? Well, it's not as good as his great films, like Black Swan, Requiem For a Dream, and The Wrestler. But it's more ambitious than any of those, and it's ambitious enough to make it special.
The last time he tried a movie like this was The Fountain, a movie that die-hards like myself enjoyed, but that's it. It had a lot of flaws. Noah also makes an occasional stumble, but it's still good. Basically, Aronofsky takes the tale of Noah (played to perfection by Russell Crowe, in his best performance in a while), and adds his own story lines to it. A risky move, but one that works.
I watched Noah as a movie, not from the biblical standpoint. From the biblical standpoint, it's way off. But the movie is entertaining. The visual effects are spectacular and the acting, particularly from Crowe and Ray Winstone as the villain, is dead on. Also, there are nearly too many powerful moments.
Not everyone is going to enjoy Noah, but that's OK. I thing Aronofsky knew that going in. He's a man with a vision, and not everyone likes his vision. He has a strange way of telling stories. I went along with his vision and had a hell of a time. It falls short of greatness, but it lands into the damn good category. If Noah was trimmed and a little more faithful to the source material, then it would've been better. I guess there is one thing to gather here: if you give a visionary filmmaker four years and a zillion dollars, then something good will come out of it. And that is the case with Noah. It's not as great as I hoped, but it's good enough.
A-