I know now why certain religious groups and most evangelical churches object so strongly to Darren Aronofskys NOAH. This film possesses an abundance of thoughtfulness, intelligence, and imagination -- three qualities which a dogmatic believer can neither abide nor endure. Reader, I loved it. The biggest surprise here is Russell Crowe, who portrays Noah not as a pasteboard saint, but as a deeply flawed antihero. (Complaints that NOAH is pro-animal and anti-human stem from the assumption that in a film about Noah, Noah must always be right. Lets just say that Mr. Aronofsky emphatically does not share that assumption.) Mr. Crowes superb performance grounds the films more fantastic and extravagant components in a clearly defined emotional reality. The rest of the cast -- with the notable exception of Douglas Booths teeth-gratingly awful Shem -- is at least serviceable and sometimes a good deal more so. Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson are marvelous as, respectively, Noahs wife and adopted daughter (those looking for a traditional misogynistic portrayal of Noahs wife will be sorely disappointed with Ms. Connellys luminous performance), while Ray Winstones Tubal-Cain and Anthony Hopkinss Methuselah are old-school hammy but fun to watch. As a retelling and reshaping of myth, Aronofskys latest work is a staggering, occasionally visionary achievement, deeply life-affirming though not afraid to plumb the depths of pessimism. Most important, it leaves its basic thematic questions open, using subtle clues and deliberate anachronisms to unsettle any easy, hopeful answers it might seem to offer at the end. Yes, NOAH is a film Christians -- indeed, believers of any sort -- should see. Many wont, of course, because its much too threatening for them. But its light-years ahead of the pious pablum that usually passes for faith-based filmmaking. Aces.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 06:26:55 +0000
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