Noah

After one weekend, this movie is already polarizing audiences, and while I understand why many people are writing negative reviews, I loved Noah. Yes, a lot has been changed from the source material, but in this movie I found a brilliantly told story, great acting, strong special effects and exceptional direction. The camera work in this movie was very artistic, with every shot brilliantly crafted by director Darren Aronofsky. There were more than a few shots in this movie that I can only describe as breathtaking. The acting was nothing short of remarkable, with everyone delivering a terrific performance. Logan Lerman really stood out for me, as he held his own against very talented actors such as Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly. Emma Watson was good, as was Anthony Hopkins in a smaller role. The special effects were for the most part spectacular. It is hard to impress with special effects these days, as so much has been done with them. I won't go so far as to say the special effects as a whole were on the same level as Avatar or Gravity, but they were very good. There is one scene that could compete with the effects in Avatar, and would look amazing in IMAX, which I unfortunately did not have the opportunity to see. There were a few minor weaknesses in the effects, with one scene near the beginning of the movie where it looked like green screen was being used, but I may be wrong. The story was more complex than I had thought it was going to be, and the entire third act caught me by surprise. The marketing and trailers did not betray any of the surprises and twists in the movie. I was pleasantly surprised by this, as some movies have marketing campaigns that reveal too much of the movie, and going in, you know most of what is going to happen. Knowing the biblical story, I thought I knew what to expect, but I was wrong. This movie felt monumental in its scale, and played out like an old school epic/drama. Overall, Noah is a great movie, superbly directed, well acted, with a strong score, and memorable special effects. There were a few minor inconsistencies, but I was able to look past them and enjoy Noah as a whole. If you are okay with the fact that a lot has been changed from the original story of Noah, I recommend that you see this film.