Noah Movie Reviews

Moody, slightly messy yet beautifully shot and superbly acted, Noah is worth making that journey to the theaters this weekend.

Noah is a very ambitious project and a good one. If you enjoy good cinema then watch Noah. It’s definitely a movie one would like to watch and then discuss with friends for hours. Noah stays with you long after you leave the theatre.

Although Aronofsky has dipped liberally into the well of fantasy in his recreation of Noah’s tale, he does it in a manner that serves up a quasi-modern story laced generously with allegory and backed by some solid, no-nonsense performances. He does not go overboard on religious subject matter and instead, chooses to give the movie a more human, moralistic direction. There’s even an interesting montage describing the origin of the universe. All in all, a lush visual spectacle told on a fittingly grand scale.

Crowe is very, very effective as the man who has borne the burden for a very long time, and the only one with the shoulders to do it. Connelly matches him every step of the way, particularly when Naameh finds herself increasingly distant from Noah.

There will be two ways to approach the film – one from a Biblical perspective and the other would be to appreciate it from a cinematic point of view and the director’s fascinating perspective of Noah’s character. Those looking for the former will be sorely disappointed.

‘Noah’ is movie filled with visually and thematically riches that will offer much for those looking for more than just a simple retelling of the tale of Noah. Yes, it is cumbersome and some of the dialouge and scenes worthy of unintentional laughter but despite it’s flaws it works.

It does pander to the Christian audiences more than the average existentialist Aronofsky fan. It’s a mainstream film, for mainstream audiences, with mainstream actors. It’ll be your own fault if you expect anything remotely different or edgy from the movie. Don’t blame Aronofsky for trying something commercial – he’s crossed over fairly well, and you’ll enjoy the movie for what it is.

Set on a vast canvas with appealing visuals, “Noah” is a fantasy laden, blinkers-on, one dimensional portrayal of the biblical character of the same name. And in no manner does it resemble any epic from the same genre, ever seen before. With computer generated images merging with ash-barren locales, this is a very modern take of a biblical film.

Religion based movie isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. However, Darren Aronofsky’s Noah presented a well-worn Biblical parable in the most grandest way. Watch it for Russel Crowe’s stellar performance.

If you have the patience and willingness to see a flawed but ambitious film by an intriguing and talented director then Noah is worth your time.

Were this a film by a lesser director, it would be easier to forgive these failings. It would be easy to enjoy Noah as a well-made popcorner that dares to explore dark themes while providing an intense visual experience. But what we have here is about 60 percent of a film that’s about 140 percent longer and more flawed than we would’ve liked. It crumbles under the weight of its own myth – and that myth is Aronofsky, not Noah.

Noah is superbly inventive, but much too overwrought. Aronofsky’s experiment has the kind of seriousness and nerve that makes watching it necessary as well as tedious.