Stephen Smith (France) Ltd

[Lesley]

Well, folks, went to see Alexandre le Grand at Luzy and can't decide how I felt about it. Maybe it being in a foreign language took some of the gloss off it. They kept striding about shouting "Par Zeus" and I have no idea what the American for that would be. There was far too much belly dancing and the political intrigue lacked a certain je ne sais quoi - no quiet plotting behind closed doors, but a lot of "You are a drunk and a despot and we want to go home" upon which swords were outed. Make-up department very good at scars and missing eyes. Poor delicate love affair not properly explored and a bit too much rape and orgy when there was no belly dancing taking place. Things livened up when the elephants came on, but things took a nose-dive when poor old Bucephalus got it in the neck.Quite literally. One or two fine sentimental moments(dying horse raises head and snickers at gravely wounded master). 10+ for blood and gore. Ace battle with the Persians. Format a bit tired - old historian telling tale in flashback and a poisonous manipulatrix of a mother so 6/10 all round. Mr Stone should have seen "I, Claudius" (brill orgies and plotting) or "Gladiator"(generally good without too much exotic dancing). Instead, I fear, Mr Stone has taken for his mentor Cecil B De Mille. I did expect to see golden calves and tablets of stone at one point.