Directed by:
Russell CroweCinematography:
Andrew LesnieCast:
Russell Crowe, Ольга Куриленко, Yilmaz Erdogan, Cem Yılmaz, Jai Courtney, Steve Bastoni, Isabel Lucas, Salih Kalyon, Megan Gale, Ryan Corr, James Fraser (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
Arriving in Istanbul, he is thrust into a vastly different world, where he encounters others who have suffered their own losses in the conflict: Ayshe (Olga Kurylenko), a strikingly beautiful but guarded hotelier raising a child alone; her young, spirited son, Orhan (Dylan Georgiades), who finds a friend in Connor; and Major Hasan (Yilmaz Erdoğan), a Turkish officer who fought against Connor's boys and who may be this father's only hope. With seemingly insurmountable obstacles in his path, Connor must travel across the battle-scarred Turkish landscape to find the truth... and his own peace. (Warner Bros. US)
(more)Reviews (2)
This is a very mixed film for me. Considering it’s a directorial debut, Russell Crowe’s first attempt, it’s quite impressive (other rookie directors would envy this, right?). However, the almost fairy-tale quality with a forced emotional ending (which, undeniably, worked perfectly, my emotions were touched) slightly brings the film down in my eyes. In terms of visual presentation, I have no complaints. The perfect exteriors complemented by flawless camera work were a success. Crowe acted well, though he overacted a bit at times, but it was bearable. The character of the Turkish major was particularly striking, bringing a refreshing element to the film. The idea of searching for lost sons might sound great on paper, but the execution was lacking. The ending, where Crowe, as a father, dreams of the place where his last son is now, then sets out and simply finds him, all seems a bit too fantastical. But I’ll overlook this and still give it four stars, though I might lower it over time. 70%.
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Russell Crowe delves into making his own film, which revolves around Australian wartime history and the battle in Turkey, which ended tragically for the Australian side. Crowe is a good actor and manages to carry the whole film quite well, but here he's not trying to stand out, even though he succeeds. The film is sometimes overly sentimental and plays it safe too much, but I got through it without much trouble.
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