The Promise has just recently been released in theaters, and with its great acting and fantastic narrative delivers a powerful and emotional ride.
This movie was one of those that I really had no idea was even in production until I saw the trailer for it while in theaters waiting to watch “Life”, great movie BTW. What immediately grabbed my attention was the subject that this film represents. This movie is based on a true story about the Armenian Genocide, which was an event in history from April 24, 1915 – 1917. This event was the mass extermination of the Armenian people, with approximately 1.5 million deaths as a result.
Throughout this film we follow the stories of Mikael Boghosian, an Armenian medical student played by Oscar Isaac, and Chris Myers, an American journalist played by Christian Bale. And I believe these were the best choices for their respective roles, giving powerful yet memorable performances.
The film’s acting has many levels. Every emotion is strong, present, and effective. Every ounce of dialogue is weighted with emotion, as they go through very real situations, with the audience drawn in along for the ride. Oscar and Bale definitely carry this film with their powerful portrayals of these characters. I think that they were the best choices for these roles, as the years of hurting is shown in all of their actions. An actor with no experience with these kinds of roles wouldn’t be able to pull off what these two very talented men are capable of.
The locations that this movie offer are vast, ranging from villages to the open forest and much more. All of the shots in this film are beautiful and successful at not only capturing the event, but also the feeling behind it. The environment that fills every scene is full of so much character and depth, with the ambiance helping this feel immensely. The extras in this film are not just thrown in the set the background. They have their own unique characters that not only help with establishing the setting, but also you can feel their relationships bounce off of each other and also affect the actions of the main protagonists.
This movie is pretty difficult to talk about without giving away too much of the story. However, I can say that if you are looking for a historical film about a very rough time in world history, that’s here. If you’re looking a dramatic romance film, that’s here too. This movie offers a lot to the audience to keep them invested and interested enough to keep watching the film, and then make them feel good about doing so as you deliver a powerful film about the struggles of being an Armenian man during this time. I would give “The Promise” an 8.5/10. This film is a very immersive ride, with the dynamic characters and powerful narrative delivering an intense experience for the audience. If you are looking for a movie to spend your money on, then this is the movie for you.