Movie Review: Troy

I had the pleasure of seeing Troy over the past weekend, and I have to say it was one of the best movies I had seen in a long, long time.

Synopsis

The general idea of the movie is Helen (Diane Kruger), queen of Sparta, goes to Troy with its prince, Paris (Orlando Bloom). This causes Greece to take Sparta and attack Troy. Achilles (Brad Pitt), is the unbeatable hero of the Greek army, who fights for Greece to enfuse his name in history, but he follows his heart, and is not always at the beckon-call of Agamemnon, the king of Greece. Paris' brother Hector (Eric Bana) is the indisputable hero of Troy, and the star of the Trojan army. When Greece attacks, all hopes lie with Hector, the Trojan army, and the massive walls which have never been breached.

The main reason I enjoyed Troy was the fact that it was not all fighting, as many epics are. A love story blossoms between Achilles and Briseis (Rose Byrne), which takes the attention away from the raging war. The story of the two Trojan brothers, their women, and their relationship with their father, King Priam (Peter O'Toole).

Which Characters I Enjoyed



Brad Pitt delivers one of his most powerful performances to date, proving the arrogance and intelligence Achilles truly possessed. I wasn't sure whether or not Pitt could handle such a forecful role, but he proved he could and make it his own.

Eric Bana was also very convincing. He proved Hector to be a hero to question what is "right", such as relying on the sun god for all motivation, and man should rely on their own hearts to define their choices in life. A great performance by a great actor.

Rose Byrne, playing Achilles' love interest Briseis, was possibly one of the best actors of the entire cast. Being a captive of the Greek army on the beaches of Troy, Briseis is given to Achilles as a prize. When he learns she is not just a peasant girl, and that she is not going to simply give in to brute force, his respect for her increases, which leads to a blossoming romance. Byrne's performance is Oscar-worthy, and should not be overlooked.

Peter O'Toole, who played the elderly king of Troy, is the other Oscar-worthy actor in this film. He plays the wise and noble king Priam, who's experience and wisdom show through. I cannot imagine a better choice for this role.

Which Characters Stank Like Poo

Orlando Bloom, an actor I enjoyed in Pirates of the Caribbean and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, gave his worst performance to date, as far as I have seen. He plays a sappy prince Paris, which is the character, but the overall performance is boring and lacks character.

Diane Kruger who plays the beautiful Helen of Troy, also seemed to lack personality.

Overall

The movie as a whole was a remarkable experience, and despite the lack of quality in a few characters, the others more than make up for it. It is a must see in theatres, as on a smaller screen would not give it the appreciation it deserves, although I will buy it on DVD. :)

The Official Troy Website


9.5/10 - Go See it NOW!