Noah

The story of Noah has been told many times in Hollywood but what separated the 2014 biblical epic from the rest was that it would be helmed by the not-so-Hollywood director, Darren Aronofsky. Just last year he divided audiences with Mother! and was also the man behind the crushing Requiem for a Dream. Then there's the touch subject of religion which, if poorly handled, can ruin a film's chances of success in America so what could possibly go wrong giving a $125 million project to an atheist who rarely caters to the mainstream?

Luckily for Aronofsky the film was a success, and was pitched as a Hollywood disaster epic. The story follows Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connolly raising their children in a harsh world that the 'Creator' has seemingly given-up on. Crowe's Noah soon experiences visions that spell impending doom for everyone and so he builds his arc for the animals to be protected. However, Ray Winstone's unruly king soon discovers this and leads his people on a battle against Noah for their own survival.

A film like this could have been just one more in the line Hollywood of action flicks but Aronofsky's strong direction, eye-catching visuals and Crowe's dependable performance as Noah kept things afloat if you pardon the pun. Given the spiritual elements of the film, a director as creative as Aronofsky was the perfect choice making for a refreshing epic of a different kind. His unique stamp does come at a price towards the third act which was both gripping yet somewhat underwhelming. But then this is Aronofsky who doesn't like to take the safe approach, and I would take something as daring as this over Roland Emmerich's 10,000 BC any day.

True to the voyage itself, Noah is a bumpy experience but one that is different from most and I'm thankful for it. It's visually beautiful, well-acted and exciting to watch even though it treads a little too far over the 2 hour running-time.