[6]

Oliver Stone's epic bio of the Macedonian military legend, like so many pet projects, is a glorious mess of a movie. The screenplay goes back and forth in time, mixing scenes of Alexander's youth with scenes of his conquests. The result is jarring, never allowing you to get to know the character in any time. The narrative also relies far too much on Anthony Hopkins' narration to explain what is going on. Stone has an Academy Award for writing Midnight Express, but his writing on Alexander seems like the clunky work of an amateur.

The movie’s single greatest flaw is Colin Farrell. I’ve liked Colin Farrell in other movies, but he fails to draw me into the story or the character here — he’s clearly detached from the material. Angelina Jolie and Val Kilmer provide plenty of sparks as Alexander’s mother and father, and so does Rosario Dawson as his dangerous barbarian bride – but all the colorful supporting roles in the world can’t compensate for Farrell’s shortcoming.

Despite its major flaws, I admire the effort and ambition behind Alexander enough to enjoy it on some level. There are, at the very least, interesting ideas at play, as well as the infrastructure for really compelling characters and relationships. I also like the majestic score by Vangelis, even though it gets too operatic a few times. Ultimately, Oliver Stone aims high and misses the mark with Alexander, but at least he hasn’t stopped reaching.