LinaStrick

Terrible acting by the lead with a matching script. I started commenting on Facebook as the movie progressed because I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was the epitome of awful, but not the kind that makes it kitsch. If a dictionary or writer's guide ever wants to define "too stupid to live," they should post a picture of this movie's heroine. Sheesh! And omg, Parker Stevenson has a small part? Oh dear. You know it's time to turn off the TV if you're suffering through this.

Very fond memories of Peter Ustinov getting more and more soused as he's bustling between embassies trying to figure out what the US and USSR are trying to do to his country! He is delightful and the movie's message is sweet. Most memorable, though, is the soundtrack with one haunting tune that I can hear as clearly now as decades ago when I last saw this film. How I wish it were on DVD!

Not nearly as biting as "The Mouse that Roared," though the era and theme are quite similar. "Romeo and Juliet" cried out to be used as a Cold War motif, and this does a very nice job of it, with a much more satisfying ending (if I may say so).

The previews made this seem a (yawn) CGI special effects movie, but instead it narrows its focus to concentrate on various relationships against the background of war: brothers, cousins, lovers, parents, friends. Some of the dialogue is beautifully poetic, and the sets and costumes are stunning. A short documentary on the DVD made me appreciate the group battle scenes.

It's been DECADES since I read a Cliff's Notes Iliad (our class had to read the Odyssey instead) and so the ending had me scratching my head because it didn't match what I thought had happened. Lo and behold, artistic license was taken with the fates of some major characters, but it was done to add to the completeness of the movie and create a satisfying whole.

I'm a big Brad Pitt fan, but will admit that in some scenes he seems to be sleeping his way through. (That's okay; I can watch him sleep for hours.) In others, though, he does extremely well, and his battles (without stunt doubles) are spectacular. But it is Eric Bana, Sean Bean and Peter O'Toole who outshine everyone else.

Iliad purists may rant, but this movie is sending me to reread (or read without Cliff's Notes) the original material. Excellent entertainment! (Don't forget your Kleenex!)