Sunday, March 4, 2012

Warhorse - Movie Review

I wasn’t too interested in Warhorse. It looked pretty boring to me. Horses are beautiful creatures, but they don’t quite come off on screen as well as dogs. That and the World War I backdrop did not put this one high on my list. Still, it was getting some pretty good buzz and it did seem like a film that should be experienced on the big screen.

A few weeks back, I took in three movies in one day. I saw Hugo, My Week with Marilyn and the showtimes enabled me to fit in Warhorse, so I decided to go for it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen three movies in one day (except for a special screening of the three original Stars Wars flicks in 1985) and Warhorse and Hugo both clocked in over 2 hours. It was quite an accomplishment and luckily my neck and back did not suffer from my over indulgence.

Although I feel Warhorse was not good enough to garner a Best Picture nomination, it still exceeded my expectations and I’m glad I saw it.

As soon as it started, I heard John Williams beautiful score and I knew I was in for it. Two hours and twenty six minutes later I would find myself splashing water on my face in the movie theater bathroom. My eyes would be swollen and puffy from crying. Yes, I had been totally manipulated into caring for the sweet horse Joey and his original owner Albert.

I was in the hands of professionals and I didn’t stand a chance. Spielberg knows how to pull at the heart strings and to clearly illustrate the horrors of war. Although Joey’s first owner, Albert is the anchor for our story, we see many faces of war and characters as Joey drifts into different people’s lives.

Going in to the film, I was unaware this was an adaptation of a stage play. I don’t know how much of story was changed for the film. Even though I was bawling my eyes out, I felt the ending was a bit to neat and tidy. It also seemed a bit rushed. Almost like, “Okay this movie is too long, we need to wrap this up pronto!”

Sweeping epic is probably the best way to describe this movie. The cinematography was gorgeous and like I said early, John Williams score carries you along nicely. It’s a big screen movie so unless you have a giant television, I believe this is best enjoyed in a theater. It’s a good solid film, just not a classic.

1 comment:

Runs Like A Gay said...

Solid, I think I can agree with that.

Like you I appreciate the scope but I didn't find myself caring for the horse as none of the relationships in the film lasted long enough to carry any real emotional heft.