Short Review: Tigerbeat has rewritten history.



When I found out that pot-head Brad Pitt was cast as legendary warrior Achilles in Troy I thought it was a mistake. In most cases he has been recycling his role as Jeffrey Goines from 12 Monkeys since 1995. To be honest, pot-head Brad Pitt pulled it off and carries this silly movie.

Pot-head Brad Pitt’s Achilles shows us the inherent torment living in a world where one can have whatever he wants. He knows his of his abilities and his stature above the normal man, but its not enough. Pot-head Brad Pitt’s scenes where Achilles is forced into action because of issues thrust upon him by the arrogant and ruthless Agamemnon (Brian Cox reprising his landmark role from Super Troopers) are perhaps his best in the film. This is primarily because this is the only time Pitt is asked to act. Otherwise he's pretty much a greased up prop.

Brian Cox (Super Troopers) over-acting aside, the acting is actually good (for a bloated, loud McMovie) and the script offers interesting moments. The script also offers some silliness, but this is the Hollywoodization of Troy, what do you expect?

Wolfgang Peterson's direction is strong as usual for his work. This is particularly true in how he shoots his individual fight scenes. I believe he’s one of only a handful of major Hollywood director who is capable of presenting a fight sequence properly. His editing is not too quick and his shots are open enough for us to see the movement. In many cases today, fight scenes are a whirling vortex of close shots lit very darkly. I like it when I can see not only the faces of who is fighting, but how they are going about it. I’m silly that way.

Is this movie worth seeing? Depends, are you literate? Seriously, this is a big, fat Hollywood piece of cinematic chum. It is not a history lesson. If you can accept that, you will probably enjoy seeing this movie.



Cautions: There is plenty of bloody violence and some sexual moments. Neither are over the top however.


Related Reviews:
Brad Pitt movies
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)



Other Critic's Reviews:
USAToday
PopMatters





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Labels: Brad Pitt, Brendan Gleeson, Brian Cox, Diane Kruger, Eric Bana, film, movie review, Orlando Bloom

It must be something to spend a portion of your young life fighting in Iraq, seeing people die, see the horrible things that go down in that part of the world and then come back to America to find Comrade Damon peddling Jason Bourne Goes to Baghdad.

I could be missing the whole point here, I have read the book. But, from what I'm seeing here looks like we have a Hollywood production where the hero goes after OUR SIDE in the middle of the war zone - a war zone we are currently involved in.

Am I wrong? If so, let me know where I messed up.







Screenwriter: Brian Helgeland (Robin Hood)
Director: Paul Greengrass (United 93)
Actors: Matt Damon (The Bourne Supremacy), Jason Issacs (Soldier), Greg Kinnear (We Were Soldiers), Brendan Gleeson (28 Days Later), Amy Ryan (Changling) and Said Faraj

Labels: Amy Ryan, Brendan Gleeson, film, Greg Kinnear, Jason Issacs, Matt Damon, movie trailer, Paul Greengrass