IN CINEMAS | 'The Promise' A dramatic exposé?
Set on the brink of the first world war, 'The Promise' sees the Ottoman Empire standing upon its last legs.
As Michael Boghosian (Oscar Isaac of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens') arrives in the vibrant city of Constantinople (now Istanbul) with the determination of bringing modern medicine with him to his ancestral village in Southern Turkey, he finds that Turkish Muslims and Armenian Christians have lived together for centuries.
A photo-journalist by the name of Chris Myers (Christian Bale of 'The Dark Knight' trilogy, 'The Prestige') has only come to cover the geo-political situation. Chris is mesmerised by Charlotte le Bon's Ana - an Armenian artist from Paris who's only just arrived after the sudden death of her father.
When Ana and Michael meet, their shared Armenian heritage sparks a romantic attraction and rivalry between the the two men. As the Turks form an alliance with Germany, Turkey turns violent against its own ethnic minorities. The trio are forced to put their feelings aside as they fight for survival.
There's no doubt that 'The Promise' often veers into a cliche territory that we, as an audience, may have seen multiple times before, and there are better historical romances set against the backdrop of war, but the one thing that 'The Promise' does remind us of is the often untouched parts of the war that Hollywood rarely delves into.
Like many films that struggle with story, there's at least a performance or two that make it worthwhile. In this case, it's in Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale, who continue to prove themselves to be amongst some of the best actors of their generation.
Co-writer and Director of 'Hotel Rwanda' fame Terry George does try his best, but it's no cigar. The story simply isn't enough, and all the technical elements can only do so much to bolster something that just isn't there in the first place.
'The Promise' endeavours to educate us in a portion of history but doesn't take full responsibility for doing so, barely skirting around the truth. Additionally, the love triangle becomes more of a hinderance than an aid, though this is hardly surprising for this film's genre.
The film as a whole seemed undecided on its genre; is it a war film or a love story? Considering the Turkish Government still denies that the genocide happened despite the proof, it feels like 'The Promise' is a film that was afraid to pull off a confronting expose at what happened really.
'The Promise' is in cinemas now.
