Don’t expect to see a happy little boat with two giraffes sticking their heads out in this retelling of Noah’s ark. Darren Aronofsky, director of “Requiem for a Dream” and “Black Swan,” spun this tale, one of the oldest in the world, with several new twists.
Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”) stars as the titular character Noah, a descendent of Adam and Eve’s son Seth. Through apocalyptic visions, he discovers that “the Creator” is going to drown the world in a flood, killing all of the wicked descendants of Cain. With the help of his wife, sons, and a girl named Ila (Emma Watson), he builds an ark to protect the innocent animals of the world from the flood.
Despite the familiar story, “Noah” manages to feel fresh and the cinematography is phenomenal. The grim look of the landscape at the beginning and the strange-looking animals give off the feel of another world. Viewers can tell how ancient this land is. The amazing musical score adds another element that draws viewers deep into the movie.
The acting is simply amazing. Crowe and Watson particularly have some tremendously heart-wrenching scenes that could bring viewers to tears. Ray Winstone, who plays Tubal-Cain, the antagonist of the story, actually makes audience members sympathetic to his plight; you will even question whether or not Noah is the “good guy” at some points.
Overall, “Noah” is a fantastic movie and one of the best of 2014 so far. If you have reservations because of the biblical or religious context, you should be happy to hear that the film is not aiming to preach or convince you of anything; it is simply an awesome story told in a new and exciting way. Aronofsky even managed to incorporate ideas of evolution with the idea of creationism, making this a truly modern film. See “Noah” before it leaves theaters!
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