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Gladiator
A good actor makes you love his character. A great actor makes you love to
hate
his character. Although Russell Crowe (The Insider) is certainly the focal
point of this epic film directed by Ridley Scott, Joaquin Phoenix (Clay Pigeons,
8MM) is the one you grow to loathe as this movie progresses.
Crowe portrays Maximus, a general in the Roman army who is eternally loyal to
his emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Commodus (Phoenix), an educated boy, awaits
his
father's decision as to who will be his successor to the throne. When he
is
overlooked by the current Caeser, Commodus vows revenge on Maximus, the man who
won his father's favor.
Having not seen anything so far this year that falls into "epic"
status, I
believe that I have just seen the first serious contender for Best Film at the
Academy Awards next year. However, we have the summer and holiday
blockbuster
seasons yet, so it's still too early to call for sure. Russell Crowe also
shines as the General who becomes a slave who becomes a gladiator. This,
coupled with his Oscar-nominated performance in last year's The Insider, seals
Crowe's fate as the newest "it" actor. Expect to see his price
tag go up as his
popularity increases.
This movie is not for the faint-hearted. Believe me when I say that there
is a
lot of death, blood and violence. But the filmmakers focus not on the
actual
death, but rather on the sport of killing that was a way of life in these Roman
times. This makes the violence bearable to watch. But please don't
do what the
father behind me did and bring your 9-year old son or daughter - their eyes are
too young for this and they may not be too interested in the historical
significance of the story.
Don't miss this film while it is on the big screen. It, like many other
films
of this proportion, will lose something on video.
Rating: * * * * *
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