Orlando Bloom stars as a stranger in a strange land in this epic Crusades adventure.
Orlando Bloom stars as a stranger in a strange land in this epic Crusades adventure.
Orlando Bloom stars as a stranger in a strange land in this epic Crusades adventure.
An end of the world battle between gangsters cops and zombies!
A faithful and powerful adaptation of JM Coetzee's 1999 Booker-winning novel, this is a disquieting study of desire and its consequences, and an unblinking portrait of post-apartheid South Africa.
It's hard to believe Ridley Scott's handsome epic won't become the cinematic touchstone of the Crusades for years to come. Kingdom of Heaven is greater than the sum of its parts delivering a vital mostly engrossing tale following Balian (Orlando Bloom) a lonely French blacksmith who discovers he's a noble heir and takes his father's (Liam Neeson) place in the center of the universe circa 1184: Jerusalem. Here grand battles and backdoor politics are key as Scott and first-time screenwriter William Monahan fashion an excellent storyline to tackle the centuries-long conflict. Two forward-thinking kings Baldwin (Edward Norton in an uncredited yet substantial role) and Saladin (Ghassan Massoud) hold an uneasy truce between Christians (who hold the city) and Muslims while factions champ at the bit for blood. There are good and evildoers on both sides with the Knights Templar taking the brunt of the blame; Balian plans to find his soul while protecting Baldwin and the people. The look of the film as nearly everything is from Scott is impressive: his CGI-infused battle scenes rival the LOTR series and with cinematographer John Mathieson create postcard beauty with snowy French forests and the vast desert (filmed in Morocco and Spain). An excellent supporting cast including Jeremy Irons Brendan Gleeson and David Thewlis also help make the head and heart of the film work. Many critics pointed out that Bloom doesn't have the gravitas of Russell Crowe in the lead (then again who does?) but it's the underdeveloped character and not the actor that hurts the film and impacts its power. Balian isn't given much more to do than be sullen and give an occasional big speech alongside his perplexing abilities for warfare tactics and his wandering moral compass (whose sole purpose seems to be to put a love scene in the movie). Note: all the major characters except Neeson's are based on fact but many are heavily fictionalized. --Doug Thomas Amazon.com --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Abbas (Eriq Ebouaney), a college professor and father of two, seeks political asylum in France after fleeing the civil war that has raged in the Central African Republic since 2013. Widowed when his wife died in attempting to escape the country with him, he has since met Carole (Sandrine Bonnaire), who consoles him in his anguish at the French immigration system. Two years of waiting finally elicit a response from the authorities. Everything he holds dear, including his hopes for both his future and those of his children, lie in their decision. Ebouaney and Bonnaire both give compelling performances, while Haroun masterfully contrasts the intimacy of human relationships with the cold bureaucracy of a vast, impersonal system.
Orlando Bloom stars as a stranger in a strange land in this epic Crusades adventure.
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