THE PROMISE is a would-be historical epic in the Hollywood mould, seemingly inspired by the look and feel of the likes of THE ENGLISH PATIENT. The main story tells of a love story between a beautiful woman, a medical student, and a journalist, but this merely exists in order to depict one of the most controversial events of the 20th century: the massacre of the Armenians by the Turks. Turkey continue to deny that such a genocide ever took place - indeed, for them, this film is a work of fiction, a piece of western propaganda at best. Nonetheless it's shocking, moving, and harrowing, particularly in the latter half of the production. The romantic stuff I could have done without, but there's no denying that this is the kind of story that needs to be told, and Isaac, Bale, and Le Bon are up to the telling.
Review of The Promise
