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The Promise poster

CAST
CHRISTIAN BALE
OSCAR ISAAC
CHARLOTTE LE BON
NUMAN ACAR
SHOREH AGHDASHLOO
ALICIA BORRACHERO
DANIEL GIMENEZ CACHO
JAMES CROMWELL
TOM HOLLANDER
MARWAN KENZARI
MILEN MAYER
IGAL NAOR
JEAN RENO
ANGELA SARAFYAN
STEWART SCUDAMORE
ANDREW TARBET

WRITTEN BY
TERRY GEORGE
ROBIN SWICORD

PRODUCED BY
ERIC ESRAILIAN
WILLIAM HORBERG
MIKE MEDAVOY

DIRECTED BY
TERRY GEORGE

GENRE
DRAMA
HISTORY
WAR

RATED
AUS:M
UK:12A
USA:PG-13

RUNNING TIME
133 MIN

THE PROMISE (2017)

An incredibly important and confronting subject presented in a cinematically rich and accessible package, The Promise urges its audience not to forget the genocide of the Armenian people in this emotionally driven, impeccably performed historical drama.

Some moments in history are often used as cinematic fodder. Usually, they represent the worst of humanity: the triumphs and atrocities of WWII; the inhumanities and resulting resistance of the civil rights movement; and the recent terrorist attacks by Islamic extremists. Little however has been put to celluloid when it comes to one of the worst war crimes of the 20th century, the systematic genocide of the Armenian people at the hands of the Ottoman Empire during 1915.

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One filmmaker that is not afraid to broach the subject is Terry George. The Irish director tackled similar material with 2004’s Hotel Rwanda. Make no mistake: The Promise does not pack the same wallop that Hotel Rwanda has. However, it does have an accessibility to its story which allows more people to be introduced to a forgotten part of history. Structured much like a classic epic from Hollywood’s “Studio Era”, The Promise is equal parts romantic period piece and pointed historical drama. It’s also a film with emotional power to go with strong storytelling, sure to haunt the hearts and minds of those who watch it.

The film stars Oscar Isaac as Mikael, an Armenian studying medicine in Constantinople. There he meets and falls in love with Ana (Charlotte Le Bon) a tutor born in a village not far from his own. She is also involved with Paris based American journalist Chris Myers (Christian Bale). When the Ottoman Empire joins WWI in April of 1915, so begins the systematic persecution, expulsion and genocide of 1.5 million Armenians, with Mikael caught in the tide of an atrocity that still fails to be recognised to this day.

The Promise is a movie that most definitely leaves an impression. Although it's box-office takings are measly, (it barely made a dent in its $90 million budget), one can foresee the film having an everlasting effect as an introduction to a pivotal period in human history, much like Gallipoli and Schindler’s List did before it. Also, considering the current plight of Christian’s within the Middle East at the hands of Islamic extremists, perhaps it can also be seen as a precautionary tale of what happens when evil is not confronted.

Awash with impressive production value and directed by George with an earnestness to its characters and their plight, the film also benefits from the exceptional performances from its varied cast, ranging from Hollywood award winners to international veterans. The standout among them is Oscar Isaac, with his portrayal of Mikael a masterwork of emotion and soul.

Such as seen in those classic studio era films mentioned before, Mikael is a character who undergoes a journey of mind, body and spirit. The atrocities played out before him tests his endurance of faith and sanity. He is essentially our guide through the horrors of this little spoken part of history, now laid bare before us. Isaac has constantly been on the verge of breaking through to Oscar nomination territory. Had The Promise received its rightful praise, maybe this could have been the role to do it. But alas…

There are faults to be found, for sure. The love triangle between Isaac/Le Bon/Bale doesn’t quite gel as it should have. As individual performances they are indeed fine, yet there is a certain spark missing to make its romance that much more potent. Also, perhaps George could have made a grizzlier violent film to achieve a more significant impact. We are living in the age of Game of Thrones, after all.

Yet those qualms aside, The Promise achieves its goal as a powerful, educational and relevant introductory portrayal of when the world turned a blind eye at the attempted destruction of a people. With hope, with faith, The Promise will bring light to those in the dark.

****

 

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Created and Edited by Matthew Pejkovic / Contact: mattsm@mattsmoviereviews.net
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