His original wishy-washy Hannibal Lecter was trumped by Anthony Hopkins, but now Cox is emerging as a great actor of this age. He’s been slumming through movies since the 70s. He is always awesome in his roles, and he shines in his sword battle with Hector (which turns out to be far more impressive than Hector’s bout with Achilles).īrian Cox. Gleeson plays Menelaus, the king of Sparta and estranged husband of Helen. No one knows him by name, but if you say, “The father from ‘28 Days Later,’” “Mel Gibson’s buddy from ‘Braveheart’” or “The sheriff from ‘Lake Placid,’” most people will know who you’re speaking about. It takes a special guy to out-macho Brad Pitt on screen, but Bana does it with ease.īrendan Gleeson. There are some fleeting moments where he also channels Russel Crowe, but he emerges as a powerful hero. Yeah, he stunk as the Hulk, but he rocks as Hector. Here are the reasons to see the film.Įric Bana. In fact, it’s a film unworthy of an Oscar, but should clean up for acting. “Troy” has some of the best acting I’ve seen in a long time. But when the most macho character you play is Legolas the Elf, what are you gonna do?Īnd now, this brings us to the good actors. It’s this flavor he brings from “Pirates of the Caribbean” that help him make a decent Paris. He’s made for the wimpy supporting role in a period piece. Bloom himself isn’t that great of a thespian. Orlando Bloom as Paris bridges the gap between bad acting and good. (This is Hollywood, after all, where all the beautiful actresses end up.) She’s eye candy, but the film could have been blessed with a better Helen – and one that could act. That’s about it, though, not particularly engaging as an actor. As Andromache, Hector’s wife, she plods through weepy dialogue, carrying a child more meaty than she is.ĭiane Kruger as Helen of Troy. She looks like she’s got cancer, she’s so thin. He either struts to look pretty or twists his face into his pouty angry look that hasn’t worked since “Legends of the Fall.” Too many times, he channels Russell Crowe with a forced deep voice. Let’s start off with the weak ones.īrad Pitt. “Troy” is both blessed and cursed when it comes to its actors. Why is it that studio execs will force a 100-minute comedy to trim 10 minutes from its final cut, but if you turn out a film where the actors wear sandals and carry swords, you’re justified in a three-hour film? The violence is strung together with scenes of insipid dialogue and whining characters, making the bloated running time unnecessary. However, in the wake of other intense Hollywood battle scenes, it’s clear Wolfgang was trying to be effective without copying “Braveheart,” “Saving Private Ryan” and “Gladiator.” The first arrow in the Achilles heel of this film is its running time. The modern “cast of thousands” just isn’t as impressive when you know it’s mere pixels on a computer screen. In fact, he actually tries too hard with “Troy.” After the seventh or eighth time you’ve seen the 50,000-strong Greek army peppering the landscape, thanks to handy-dandy CGI, it becomes mundane. But all of his American films have been powerful, tense and wonderfully directed. Ever since “Das Boot” (and I’m not including his earlier German work simply because I have not seen it), he hasn’t really made a bad film. Wolfgang is one of the best directors out there now. It had a lot going for it, namely director Wolfgang Petersen. I really wanted to like “Troy.” I really wanted to love “Troy.” I wanted “Troy” to be “Gladiator,” “Spartacus” and “The Passion of the Christ” all rolled into one. is unleashing a smelly, apish Brad Pitt as Achilles in “Troy.” First, Touchstone Pictures gave us “The Alamo” in all of its anticlimactic glory. This must be the year of overblown historical epics.
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