Blog of Leonid Mamchenkov

“Alexander” is one of the big time movies of the last year that I missed in the cinema. Olga was in her late pregnancy already when the movie came here and we thought that with all the battles it would be scary for the baby to live through almost three hours of it. So we skipped. Today I got my hands on a copy and watched it.

Directed by: Oliver Stone
Genres: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, War
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, David Bedella, Jessie Kamm, Angelina Jolie, Val Kilmer, Fiona O’Shaughnessy, Connor Paolo, Patrick Carroll, Brian Blessed, Peter Williamson, Morgan Christopher Ferris, Robert Earley, Aleczander Gordon, Christopher Plummer, Gary Stretch
IMDB raintg: 5.5
My rating: 6.0

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“Born on the Fourth of July” was just on TV. It is a rather simple and shallow movie about Vietnam war and its veterans. It is also, supposedly, about how different things make people change. Like losing legs, for example. Or killing babies and stuff.

As I said, the movie is very simplistic. Maybe it’s just me, or maybe it is because the film is a bit old (1989). Still. Single story line. Simple relationships. Simple cause-effect kind of happennings. Maybe someone a little bit more experienced than Tom Cruise could make it better. Playboy face and absolute lack of emotions on his behalf does not add anything to the movie.

On the phylosophical part: it is interesting that some people realize that war is bad for humanity without any external influence. Some need to watch a movie about it. Some need to talk to the veteran. Others need to actually go to war to see things for themselves. But that’s not all. There are some people, who need to lose something on the war, like a friend or an arm. These are not that bad. There are those who, even after shooting and sufferring, don’t realize how bad war is for them. They still talk some patriotic bull and everything. And I am not talking about an enemy invading your village. I am talking about American presense in Vietnam. Or Iraq these days. Or Russian presense in Afghanistan. Or Chechnya these days. War is crap. You don’t have to try it to know. Like heroin.

Anyway, the movie sucked pretty much, so I’ll give it 3 out of 10. And an evil smile towards all Cruise’ fans.