"Queen of the desert" (2015 release; 125 min.) is a bio-pic of Gertrude Bell, a/k/a "the female Lawrence of Arabia". As the movie opens, we are told it is "Cairo, 1914, British Arab Bureau", where a group of men (including Winston Churchill) is debating how to reshape the faltering Ottoman Empire. Someone mentions they should maybe consult Gertrude Bell. The movie then goes to "Twelve Years Earlier", where we see Gertrude restless in her parents' strict British upbringing. She begs her father to let her get away from it all, and he finally gives in, sending her to to British Embassy in Tehran. At this point we're 10 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this movie is the latest from writer-director Werner Herzog, equally known for both feature films and documentaries. Here he brings to the big screen a 15 year period in Gertrude Bell's life, during which she traveled the Arabian peninsula and deserts relentlessly, earning her the nickname "the female Lawrence of Arabia" (T.E. Lawrence in fact appears in the film as well). Herzog is known as a very solid storyteller, so it comes as a surprise that the storytelling isn't stronger, in particular the first half of the movie drags far too long for its own good. As we are watching the movie unfold, it is clear that this is a big budget movie, and in the end the movie functions as much as a travelogue than anything else. There are some notable acting performances, none more so than Nicole Kidman, in what I consider her best role in YEARS. James Franco is in the movie for a good half hour (as the Secretary of the Tehran Embassy and Gertrude's early love interest), and an unrecognizable Robert Pattinson as T.E. Lawrence.
This movie premiered over 2 years ago at the Berlin Film Festival to less than stellar reviews, and pretty much sank like a stone upon a wider European release. Imagine my surprise when the movie opened this weekend out of the blue and without any pre-release hype or advertising on a single screen for all of Greater Cincinnati. The Saturday matinée screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great, and even though the movie gets only 2 screenings a day, I would be surprised it if lasted more than a single week on the big screen. That said, given its reputation, I had zero expectations going into this, and much to my surprise the movie isn't nearly as bad as I had expected it. The lovely photography and scenery, and a very likable performance from Nicole Kidman, did the trick for me. If you liked "Lawrence of Arabia" (and who doesn't?), you should definitely give this a try as well. Keep your expectations low, and chances are you'll find this fairly enjoyable.
Couple of comments: this movie is the latest from writer-director Werner Herzog, equally known for both feature films and documentaries. Here he brings to the big screen a 15 year period in Gertrude Bell's life, during which she traveled the Arabian peninsula and deserts relentlessly, earning her the nickname "the female Lawrence of Arabia" (T.E. Lawrence in fact appears in the film as well). Herzog is known as a very solid storyteller, so it comes as a surprise that the storytelling isn't stronger, in particular the first half of the movie drags far too long for its own good. As we are watching the movie unfold, it is clear that this is a big budget movie, and in the end the movie functions as much as a travelogue than anything else. There are some notable acting performances, none more so than Nicole Kidman, in what I consider her best role in YEARS. James Franco is in the movie for a good half hour (as the Secretary of the Tehran Embassy and Gertrude's early love interest), and an unrecognizable Robert Pattinson as T.E. Lawrence.
This movie premiered over 2 years ago at the Berlin Film Festival to less than stellar reviews, and pretty much sank like a stone upon a wider European release. Imagine my surprise when the movie opened this weekend out of the blue and without any pre-release hype or advertising on a single screen for all of Greater Cincinnati. The Saturday matinée screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great, and even though the movie gets only 2 screenings a day, I would be surprised it if lasted more than a single week on the big screen. That said, given its reputation, I had zero expectations going into this, and much to my surprise the movie isn't nearly as bad as I had expected it. The lovely photography and scenery, and a very likable performance from Nicole Kidman, did the trick for me. If you liked "Lawrence of Arabia" (and who doesn't?), you should definitely give this a try as well. Keep your expectations low, and chances are you'll find this fairly enjoyable.