Kim Gentes

Exodus: Gods and Kings (Ridley Scott) - Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Ben Mendelsohn, Sigourney Weaver, Ben KingsleyLet my people go to Hollywood...

Summary:  Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton try to lead this film out of the slavery of Hollywood cliché, but unlike the protagonist and the Hebrew people of the story, this project starves in the wilderness of dry, empty characters and thoughtless dialog just before drowning from poor direction amidst of a sea of dazzling CGI.

Full Review: Exodus. More than just being an iconic narrative of faith, it is the epic of freedom and struggle, representative of individuals, peoples, and cultures across history and across the world. Envisioning such an epic requires true thought, true vision. Either try for something revolutionary or keep to the story and make it work on the level of character development. Ridley Scott does neither and fails big. The acting, characters and story-line were weak. I fault the director for taking what is basically the major epic narrative of 3 world religions and treating the project like he was distracted and just trying to get it done.

The characters (in contrast to their historic epic) are all one-dimensional, predictable and unconvincing. They show no humanity- just stereotyped ransacking of what could have been thoughtful roles. Moses' character is turned into (like Darren Aronofsky's Noah) an educated, but basically psychotic, lunatic with luck on his side, who leads a military foment of slaves to an uprising. Along the way, lots of amazing things happen, that are all attributed to natural phenomena and don't hold anything like the narrative punctuation of the original book of the same title from the biblical text. Don't misunderstand me- I don't fault Ridley Scott for taking what is essentially an "enlightenment" stab at the Exodus work- no one who believes or considers the story in any sense "real" will likely accept his revision. But that is art. However, what is not art is the emotionless, boring, and even schmaltzy portrayal of characters that role across the silver screen.

Christian Bale does have the thoughtfulness to try to fill his dialog with some passion, but he is working with a script that feels as authentic as the $25 press board desk I put together when I was in college. Aaron Paul hardly has to earn his credentials for playing a passionate supporting role, but his part literally gave him nothing to work with. Sigourney Weaver seethes of contempt as she literally looks like she'd rather be infested by an alien than say the lines she was handed out. Joel Edgerton seems like he took his role seriously, but his court is such a mockery that one has to wonder how he could hold any sense of presence in a such a vilified supporting staff. And finally John Turturro looks like he is about a half second away from cracking up laughing on literally ever single line. Ben Kingsley has a chance at being the one rock in the film, playing a sagely Jewish elder. But he is shoehorned into a few quick segments that give him no space to develop his character.

Here is my point- we all know the story. If you are going to rewrite it, you need do a better job in some aspect than the original. And if you are going to rely on atheist philosophy when you are telling the narrative of a creator God directing his chosen people, then at least have the presence of mind to use good art- develop some great characters, use thoughtful dialog, give us a human interest in the film.

I can't imagine this film made anyone happy other than the various unions who were employed in its production. Save your money. Wait for the Netflix/Amazon free stream or when it hits your local cable free movie feature.

Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/1yOfkmt

Review by Kim Gentes

Definitive era picture.

The power of this story is so much bigger than a retro-fitted modern movie with black and white sculpting. Spielberg cleanses something of his soul and ours when we are forced to take an honest look at the inhumanity of humanity through the eyes of these characters. People will hallow back to many tragedies as the eras pass, but no single tragedy has come close to the wiping out of 6 million Jews at the hands of Hitler. When I read some other reviews on Yahoo and other places harping on propaganda I can only imagine them as anti-Semites or simply ignorant.

The acting in this classic is not surface to stereotype at all (epitomized by the supportive roles of Ralph Fiennes and Ben Kingsley). Each person has a slice of brute and beauty. Schindler (the stand out career role played by Liam Neeson), though obviously the benefactor of many Jews, is not without his moral corruption and conflict. The one ray of innocence is perfectly captured by the children, as it should be. I thought the black and white coloring of the film was succinct and appropriate, bringing more realism to the story because it related one to the historical time period we can associate with the tragedy.

Spielberg, of course, is masterful in exposing the world of sound, movement, wistful, drudging and visceral action that he has the uncanny way of weaving into every part of cinema he makes, into this story. You are right there. Living it, hearing it, feeling it, thinking it.

An uncompromising masterpiece of film making.