NOAH (2014) **1/2 Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Douglas Booth (voices of Nick Nolte & Frank Langella) Epic and grand undertaking by filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (who collaborated on the adaptation with Ari Handel taking many liberties with its source) depicting the final days of Earth before the biblical 'great flood' laying waste to mankind except for chosen titular peaceful farmer (Crowe very good and somewhat low-key humble) and his family to build an ark and rescue only the planet's animals for a new world to populate. While the CGI f/x are clearly the stars of the production Aronofsky manages to pay credence to the short passage of Genesis yet imbibing in some fool-hardy Hollywood big-guns (i.e. giants ala THOR's ice giants meets Tolkein's Ents and pyrotechniques and fireballs) to appease the masses. Fine camera work by longtime colleague Matthew Libatique and a few amazing sequences edited by Andrew Weisblum keep things in perspective: man truly is an island unto himself.
Review of Noah
