Noah

An Old Testament favourite is given a blockbuster makeover by Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky. Russell Crowe stars as the man chosen by God (here called the Creator) to undertake a momentous rescue mission before apocalyptic floods consume the Earth. Yet beyond the task of shepherding animals into a gigantic ark before the heavens open, Noah is also tormented by several big questions, not least why he should be the one chosen as saviour. Aronofsky paints a bold story on a broad canvas - the grandeur of the special effects is interspersed with bouts of existential navel-gazing, which has a tendency to make the movie a tad lop-sided. It's an impressive spectacle - the ark itself is built to scale - but occasionally unsure of whether to be epic or relevant. Crowe is powerfully charismatic throughout, in marked contrast to the hammy supporting turns by Anthony Hopkins and Ray Winstone, which feel like they belong to biblical extravaganzas of a bygone era.