Some critics might dismiss Alexander as nothing more than a complacent and overblown epic which is unworthy of all the hype it had been receiving prior to its release, yet I do not wholly agree with them. With a running time of close to three hours, I admit that this is indeed a sprawling epic, but then, it IS the life-story of one of the most important figures in human history -- definitely NOT an easy tale to tell.
Acclaimed director Oliver Stone had tackled various subject matters in the past (Platoon, Natural Born Killers, Nixon, etc) with considerable success and therefore, in less experienced hands, Alexander could easily become nothing more than a himbo war movie that celebrates male-bonding and macho-ism. However, though this is Stone's most ambitious work to date, it falls flat in several places mainly due to its rambling and disjointed narration and fragmented storyline; Stone obviously had too much to say and too little time to say it. Another blemish in the film is its too subtle portrayal of Alexander's relationship with his male lover, Hephastion, so much so that this controversial fact is implicated rather than blatantly presented in the scripting. In a film rife with homosexual undertones, this conservative treatment is abit puzzling. (For those not in the know, Alexander was a bisexual)
Despite some of the pitfalls in storyline, everything else seems almost perfect. The cinematography is superb and in the breathtaking battle-scenes, the CGI effects are not as in-your-face as in most movies you see nowadays. I also thought the exploration of Alexander's oedipal complex is quite commendable, albeit a tad too disturbing for some people. Perhaps that is why Angelina Jolie was casted as Alexander's mother, Olympias; but though she sizzles like hot coal in her scenes, her overdone accent was soooo distracting.
In the plump role of Alexander himself, I thought the usually enigmatic Colin Farrell was not entirely convincing. Probably it wasnt such a good idea to make him blonde afterall. LOL. Then again, I cant think of any other actor from his generation more appropriate to play Alexander (who, as history documented, reached his peak in his late twenties & died by age 33) and Farrell did carry off the conflicted/deluded king part quite sufficiently anyway. Nevertheless, it's such a waste that Stone did not fully utilize the talents of his supporting cast (i.e. Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Christopher Plummer, Jared Leto etc).
As a period epic, Oliver Stone's Alexander may not be as polished and engaging as Ridley Scott's Gladiator or Mel Gibson's Braveheart, but at least it does not degrade itself into bland Hollywood fluff like the recent Troy or even King Arthur. While not exactly Oscar-winning material (and I had to sit through some very tedious narration), Alexander wasnt too bad at all.
my ratings ---- 3.5/5 stars!!!
