Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7/10
Cast: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Anthony Hopkins, Douglas Booth, Leo McHugh Carroll, Frank Langella, Dakota Goyo, Marton Csokas, Madison Davenport, Nick Nolte, Mark Margolis, Kevin Durand, Nolan Gross, Adam Griffith, Gavin Casalegno, Skylar Burke
It seems odd that it has taken this long to make a film about one of patriarchs and prophets of Judaism and Christianity when so many others have been touched upon in one way or another since the early days of cinema. For a film titled Noah it is going to be hard for many to get past the big elephant in the ark, as well as all the snakes and the odd Silverback Gorilla. It’s going to take willpower for some not to let a great story get in the way of something so old and too some so sacred.
However let the story take you where it must, a modern disaster adventure but set thousands upon thousands of years ago, the pinnacle of modern imagination but with the ability to draw on one of the most endearing stories going back through many different cultures and in many different ways. Directed in such a way by Darren Aronofsky that it would be admired alongside some of the great disaster films of the 1970s and with two leading actors who really own the screen to the point where you expect them to step down after each day’s filming and carry on the debate for another few hours. You wouldn’t bet against either of them to be fair.
Having received visions from Him and through the blood line of Methuselah, Noah takes his family on a quest to the farthest reach from the world of Men and starts the process of building The Ark, for which is pretty much what you expect in the story, regardless of whatever your belief actually is, what doesn’t sit quite so well is the idea of fallen angels (Watchers) having lived Golem like in the earthy shells and passing judgement on one man because he dared tell them that The Creator had shown him the future destiny of the planet and The Flood to come.
Whilst Russell Crowe in these types of roles excels beyond measure, the story itself, makes for interesting watching but it is not the epic you might expect. It possibly flounders a little because of the of the allusion to magic and more than once you do wonder if J.R.R. Tolkien had been involved he might have suggested toning it down slightly.
Noah is a good way to spend a couple of hours but it isn’t going to change your life, it isn’t going to make you look at the world of religion differently but it might, just might make you take a more serious viewpoint on what as Humans we have allowed to happen to the world we inhabit. The first environmentalist? Perhaps! In that context the film is worthy of watching and actually enjoying.
Ian D. Hall