Noah

WARNING: This review is hidden because it reveals the content of the film.
Click here to show this review. I’m sad to say that many people will go into this movie thinking that it’s a big action epic and to be honest, there are quite a few good action sequences, but this is not a fast-paced movie where Noah goes around kicking all kinds of behind and taking names. This is more like a Shakespearean tale of inner turmoil that is peppered with battles and fights to accentuate the peril the characters face at every turn than something akin to the historical fantasy you would get in “300: Rise of an Empire”. That said, there are some really awesome battle sequences in here. How does Noah, a single man defend his ark and his family against Tubal-cain and his army? Well that’s where some of the more original aspects of the story come in. The story cleverly uses the idea of “fallen angels” to explain some of the loosely described events in the biblical passage. When the “Watchers” (as the angels are called) are involved in the story they are not only great special effect creatures to see, but they’re also quite unique, exciting to watch and surprisingly emotionally effective in their involvement in the big struggles of the plot. There’s a lot more to this movie than the passages in your Bible. A significant portion of the film is dedicated to a deep controversy within Noah himself. Faced with the sheer savagery of the violent descendants of Cain, Noah frequently finds himself in situations where he has to defend himself and his family by killing other men. Despite the fact that he kills in self-defense, the acts of violence profoundly affect him and it disturbs Noah to know that even within the peaceful descendants of Seth, the potential for murder and sin is nonetheless present. Faced with a god that stays silent to his prayers, he wonders if he and his family are worth saving. As you can expect, this drives a large rift between him and his family members. Imagine being told ahead of time that you have been judged unworthy to have children and that none of your actions can change the fact. There is a heavy emphasis on characters reflecting internally on their roles in the world and on the role they will serve after the flood, on the dreams they may have to abandon and on their faith in the Creator and in each other. Two more things really help a film that admittedly does drag a few times: the performances and the visual style. When I say the film drags, it’s because of the material the story is based on. Because the film is made to be accessible to non-religious people (who will see it simply as an enjoyable fantasy adventure) I don’t want to spoil the ending, but if you read the story, you will realize that this is a 4-act story, so once the big climactic disaster happens, it’s not the end; in fact it goes on for quite a bit more and similarly, the beginning of the story includes quite a bit of setup. It all pays off so I certainly didn't mind seeing all the developments. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, the performances: Everyone is good here, even when their roles are short and not very developed. Everyone has dreams and different ideas of what not only survival but living means. Even Tubal-Cain, who is pretty much just an evil guy has some moments where you can understand his reasoning and to be honest, with Noah seriously contemplating the extinction of the human race as a viable option, you might find that you’re cheering for the villain at some parts. You will certainly sympathize and understand the people that side with him as well, despite some of the heinous acts they are involved in. A special mention goes to the female characters, both Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson who have some of the most emotional moments besides Noah. The script they’re given is improved by their performances, which hit the right notes every time. Finally, there’s the visual style of the film. There are some montages of time passing, flashbacks and scenes of storytelling that are really spectacular. About ¾ into the film, when Noah tells the story of the creation of the world, it’s a really spectacular show to be seen. There are moments of wonder and some moments that are actually genuinely frightening too, particularly when it comes to Noah’s visions and the scenes involving the descendants of Cain. This is not the Noah you’re accustomed to, with a long white beard and flowing toga, this is its own thing and one that is likely to become a favorite for a lot of people, regardless of their faith. With all the praise that I’ve given the film, I have to accentuate once again that this is probably being sold to you the wrong way, particularly if you’re a male 14-36. It’s not an action movie, it’s a biblical fantasy drama with some action sequences in it. Also, there are some parts that are a bit slow because this film has a lot of ideas flying around and they need to be explained to you so keep in mind that this movie runs 138 minutes (and not a lot of that is in the credits, I stayed for those and they compress all those names in just a few screens) It’s a really fresh interpretation of the story with some great cinematic moments, some moving performances and a story that regardless of your beliefs is genuinely interesting to see. You haven’t seen Genesis like you’ve seen it here so check out “Noah” on the big screen because that’s where it’s going to look its best. (Theatrical version on the big screen, April 1, 2014)