BOMBSHELL : Tuesday 21st January 2020.

'BOMBSHELL' which I saw earlier this week is an M Rated American biographical drama film Directed by Jay Roach whose previous Directorial credits take in 'Blown Away', the three 'Austin Powers' instalments, 'Mystery, Alaska', 'Meet the Parents', 'Meet the Fockers', 'Dinner for Schmucks', 'The Campaign' and 'Trumbo' more recently. The film was released in the US in mid-December, has received generally positive Reviews, and has so far grossed US$35M from its US$32M production budget. Among its haul of fifteen award wins and 53 other nomination so far, the film has at the 92nd Academy Awards, earned three nominations: received two nominations at the 77th Golden Globe Awards; four at the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards and three at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards.

Here, the film centres upon the female Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), and journalist and television commentator Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) in Manhattan, and their sexual harassment allegations on 6th July 2016 against the founder of Fox News Roger Ailes (John Lithgow). Ailes heads up Fox News, the #1 ranking conservative news channel on television which he built from the ground up. Kelly is one of the most popular newscasters on primetime news and is a co-moderator of the 2016 Republican Presidential debate, in which Trump is running, supported by Ailes and the Fox News channel.

On the day of the debate, Kelly becomes physically sick and vomits several times. She rests up in her hotel bedroom for five hours before the debate goes live. Awake and somewhat refreshed she questions Donald Trump on several recorded derogatory comments he has made about women in the past. In retaliation, he Tweets insults about her, and other supporters of Trump follow suit. One reporter sneaks into Kelly's back yard at their home to photograph her daughter through the closed windows, prompting Kelly's husband, Douglas (Mark Duplass), to see off the intruder. Later when Kelly is recounting this to Ailes in his office he says that perhaps someone tried to poison her on the day of the debate by spiking her Starbucks coffee. Fox then hires a security crew for Kelly.

Carlson meanwhile is removed unceremoniously from the popular daily morning show 'Fox and Friends' and relegated to a much less popular afternoon timelsot with a cut in her pay too. Swamped by sexist comments on and off the air, Carlson meets with lawyers who tell her how Rudi Bakhtiar (Nazanin Boniadi) - a Fox News Channel general correspondent, reporting on major international news stories was fired after accusing Brian Wilson (Brian d'Arcy James) - a former anchor reporter for Fox News Channel of sexual harassment back ten years ago, and the matter was largely swept under the carpet by Ailes. At Carlson's behest, they plan to file a harassment suit against Ailes but tell her that she'll need evidence and testimony from other women who have been similarly harassed over the years.

Kayla Pospisil (an amalgam of real life Fox News characters for the purpose of the film as portrayed by Margot Robbie) is Fox's newest hire, who works with Carlson, but soon accepts a job on 'The O’Reilly Factor'. Bill O'Reilly (Kevin Dorff) fires her on her first day on the job. Feeling sorry for herself she gets drunk and sleeps with Fox's Jess Carr (Kate McKinnon) after a night on the town in which Carr offers Pospisil plenty of inside advice on how to navigate the cutthroat world of television news. When they wake up, Pospisil says she's not a lesbian and is surprised to see Carr's Hillary Clinton poster stuck to her fridge door. Asked why a liberal lesbian would work for Fox, Carr says she applied for numerous jobs over the years, but Fox hired her, and now no one else will.

Pospisil later is invited to Ailes' office, for an impromptu 'interview'. Ailes one condition in fast tracking a career is that he asks for undivided loyalty from his people, and he asks Pospisil to consider a way in which she can demonstrate her loyalty. He asks her to stand up and do a 'twirl' and then makes her lift her skirt to show him her underwear, on the basis that TV news is a 'visual medium'. He compliments her on her figure. She later tells Carr, who says she can't get involved for fear of drawing undue attention to herself as a lesbian in the very male dominated and conservative workplace.

Carlson broadcasts on air that she supports the semi-automatic assault weapons ban, although a news poll live to air indicates that 89% of the audience do not, prompting Ailes to summons her. She's fired and is given no clear reasons for why. She decides to sue Ailes. He meets with his wife, Beth (Connie Britton), and attorneys Susan Estrich (Allison Janney) and Rudy Giuliani (Richard Kind), and naturally vehemently denies the absurd allegations. All female staff members are asked to stand with Fox, and most do, but Kelly doesn't comment, secretly weighing up her options.

When the law suit is filed and made public in the newspapers and on the news channels around the country, Carlson's hopes and expectations are quickly splintered when no other women come forward. Viewers quickly turn on her saying that her allegations are made up hearsay and carry no weight. Kelly however, attempts to find other women, including Pospisil, who were sexually harassed by Ailes or O’Reilly.

Pospisil over the phone to Carr one evening says she obeyed Ailes sexual advances to safeguard her career but now has regrets and wants to come forward. Kelly in turn speaks up about her own sexual harassment claims against Aisles and learns that 22 other women will too. Estrich is called out of the room expecting Carlson to settle out of court, but returns confronting Ailes and his wife, with the news that Carlson has secretly recorded their conversations over the course of a whole year, and on that basis she will win the case against him. 

Ailes meets with Fox co-creator Rupert Murdoch (Malcolm McDowell) and his two sons Lachlan (Ben Lawson) and James (Josh Lawson), who tell him he'll be fired, and hands him a written note with a severance payment as a first and final offer, no further discussion. Ailes asks to break the news with Murdoch back at the office in front of his team personally, but Rupert refuses. When Murdoch arrives at the Fox News Offices, stands up in front of the gathered staffers and says he's taking over Fox as interim CEO, Carr remains silent. Pospisil, knowing she'll be fired, walks out the door and quits on the spot.

Meanwhile, Carlson is awarded US$20M in damages and an apology from Fox but cannot speak about her case. The closing credits reveal that Fox paid out a further US$50M in compensation to the Fox victims of sexual harassment and abuse, and that between them Ailes and O'Reilly received US$65M in severance payments. Ailes died on 18th May 2017.

This is a thought provoking, darkly satirical, yet infinitely entertaining and informative film about the horrific events of years of bigotry and sexual harassment that unfolded at Fox News just a few short years ago, which makes it all the more relevant, all the more fresh in the mind and all the more compelling to watch. The four key cast members are all excellent in their roles, with Theron nailing her portrayal of Kelly in every detail, Robbie outstanding as the enthusiastic young gun who gets in way too far over her head, Kidman stoic as the determined put upon Carlson who is short changed as a character and could have done with more screen time with Theron and Robbie, and of course Lithgow as the morally corrupt and all powerful big boss of them all, and who ultimately gets his comeuppance. The production values are first rate, the script smart, the dialogue snappy and the film moves along at a good pace. Director Jay Roach here weaves a true story that needs to be told, and one that needs to be seen as the launchpad for the #MeToo movement that was also the subject of a seven part TV miniseries last year 'The Loudest Voice' with Russell Crowe in a highly acclaimed portrayal of Roger Ailes. Certainly worth the price of your cinema ticket.

'Bombshell' warrants four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard, from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

HOTEL MUMBAI : Wednesday 20th March 2019.

'HOTEL MUMBAI' which I saw earlier last week, is an Australian, Indian and American Co-Produced thriller Directed, Co-Produced, Written and Edited by Aussie Anthony Maras in his feature length film debut. The film saw its World Premier screening at TIFF back in September last year, was screened at the Adelaide Film Festival in October and went on release first here in Australia last week and the US at the end of this month. Based on the 2009 Documentary 'Surviving Mumbai' by Victoria Midwinter Pitt, the film is of the 2008 Mumbai attacks where a group of terrorist attacks occurred in November 2008, when ten members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamic terrorist organisation based in Pakistan, carried out a series of twelve coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days across Mumbai. At least 174 people died, including nine of the ten terrorists involved, and more than three hundred were wounded. This film centres around the attack in particular on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. The film has generated largely favourable Reviews.

The film opens up with ten disparate men travelling by dinghy along the waterways leading into the heart of the city, all the while listening intently to the ramblings of their leader as he espouses the virtues of the horrific crimes they are about to commit. They come ashore and split up into three taxis, all heading for a different destination upon which to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting populace. The first pair head to a central railway station, the next group head off to a cafe and restaurant precinct, and the next group of four head to the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, always in close communication with their leader who continually reminds them of the importance of their mission against the western infidel and how they will be rewarded in the kingdom of their God.

We first see the attack on the central rail station where literally thousands of commuters are going about the daily travel routines and how many are gunned down with semi-automatic weapons on a whim. We then cut to a cafe in which an English backpacker guy and his Asian girlfriend are caught in the cross-fire of a random attack by armed gunmen and how they narrowly escape amidst the death and destruction bestowed upon other diners in that unfortunate eatery. We then follow them as they join the wave of fleeing escapees as they seek refuge in the seemingly safe harbour of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel . . . how wrong could they be?

And so as a wave of devastating terror attacks throughout Mumbai catapult the bustling Indian city of some thirteen million inhabitants into chaos, in the heart of the city’s tourist district, Islamic terrorists lay siege to the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, with ruthless and merciless abandon. The gang of four terrorists arrive undercover together with those others fleeing on foot from the restaurant precinct, and are simply granted access because of the media coverage that has now erupted around the attacks that have so far come to light. Meanwhile, we follow the routine of one Arjun (Dev Patel) who has a young daughter and another child on the way as he rides his scooter to work at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel to commence his shift as a Waiter. He receives he pre-service briefing form Executive Chef Hemant Oberoi (Anupam Kher) and goes to work in one of the many restaurants where the more dignified guests choose to dine.

Arriving in advance of the shooting party are wealthy Indian Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi) who checks into one of the hotel’s opulent suites with her American husband David (Armie Hammer), newborn baby and Australian nanny Sally (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) in tow. Then there is the very demanding and particular Russian businessman Vasili (Jason Isaacs) and various other reasonably high profile guests that you would expect in an establishment of this standing. When the random shootings begin in the hotel lobby, Arjun is attending to the orders of his guests in the nearby hotel restaurant. He immediately takes charge ordering everyone to get down under the tables and seek cover, not knowing for sure himself what the hell is going on outside the restaurant doors.

And so what follows is a four day long battle for survival as hotel staff who have a firmly upheld belief that the Guest is King, the guests who all succumb in some way either directly or indirectly to the acts of the terrorists, and the authorities who are at first almost defenceless against ten mere, albeit heavily armed and ruthless mortals having to wait it out for days while the special forces arrive from 800 miles away. Needless to say the tension mounts as Big Bull (the recurring voice in the ear piece of the terrorists) continues to blurt out his specific instructions and how they will be rewarded in the kingdom of their God.

What unfolds is a case of catch us if you can, as one hundred or so guests are held captive in their luxury hotel as four terrorists go about their business of gunning down remorselessly and without blinking so much as an eye basically anyone who moves, gets in their way or doesn't comply with their demands. They patrol the corridors, hallways and rooms armed to the teeth with semi-automatic weapons, pistols and hand grenades and are not afraid to use them in the name of their cause. Sally is left holding the new-born baby as Zahra and David are caught in the crossfire in the restaurant four storeys below, as is Vasili on a neighbouring table. They crouch under a table frantically trying to text Sally who is taking a shower oblivious to the scenes of murder and mayhem unfolding within the hotel. David takes it upon himself to go back to their suite to locate Sally and the baby and in the process has a close call with two of the terrorists but manages to evade them in a lift, thanks to the cover afforded by an abandoned upright food trolley.

David reunites with Sally and the baby in their suite, but then decide to join the other guests now being led by Head Chef Oberoi to a Club Lounge within the hotel that is secure and has no windows. However, in doing so he is captured by the terrorists and taken hostage, with instructions from Big Bull to later execute him and any other captured Westerners in front of all the worlds media looking on. Sally and the baby evade capture by stowing away in a broom cupboard out of sight. Arjun meanwhile is leading his restaurant patrons along the fire exit to the Club Lounge where Head Chef Oberoi has already congregated with several dozen other guests and Hotel staff. Here Vasili comforts Zahra as best he can under the circumstance having lost all contact with David, Sally and her baby.

Meanwhile the local Police force have gathered outside together with the local and international news channels. Four daring cops decide to go in, given that Special Forces are en route but their ETA is still hours away. Needless to say they come to a sticky end in a hail of bullets and a grenade, but not before one of the terrorists is shot in the leg while he tries to break into the Club Lounge having discovered that by now there are about one hundred or so guests and staff holed up inside. The terrorist shot in the leg is sent to rest up and guard the now steadily increasing number of high value largely American hostages, whom they all plan to kill. The other three in the meantime go in search of an alternative entry to the Club Lounge, whilst setting fire to random points within the Hotel. The world watches on via the news channels of explosions within the Hotel, muffled distant machine gun fire, and bursts of flame and billowing smoke from the rooftop and windows.

Before the four cops were gunned down they came across Arjun in the emergency exit stairwell. They asked him to lead them to the surveillance room and then left him safely inside. While watching the terrorist activities on a live feed via closed circuit cameras he observes them trying to gain access again to the Club Lounge via the main entry. Using a grenade to blow the doors Arjun warns Head Chef Oberoi via mobile phone that the terrorists are soon to be upon them. Oberoi orders the one hundred or so guests to use the fire escape which takes them straight out onto the street several floors below. The terrorists gain entry and begin shooting just as Oberoi ducks out of sight - the last through the emergency doors. In a mad scramble to get free, many of the guests are shot as the terrorists randomly fire at them from the stairwell above. Vasili, Zahra and a handful of other guests decide to take a detour via the Hotel Lobby only to be gunned down and taken hostage. Here Zahra and Vasili are reunited with David, bound and lying face down on the floor.

By now the Special Forces have arrived and are readying themselves to launch an attack on the terrorists. The one guarding the hostages is in conversation with Big Bull who tells him that the time has come to kill the hostages without mercy and that he will be rewarded. Systematically he begins shooting the hostages. Vasili who puts up a noble struggle as much as he is able with his hands tied behind his back, is shot and killed, then David, leaving only Zahra who begins singing a Muslim song. This perplexes the terrorist who is confused by a western woman chanting a Muslim song, and despite the demands of Big Bull to put a bullet in her head, the terrorist does not. He leaves to join his colleagues, leaving Zahra to make her escape, which she does through a window which she smashes to draw attention to her whereabouts and to avoid smoke inhalation. She is rescued and taken to safety. Meanwhile the escaping guests and staff have reached the ground floor and spill out onto the street as the Special Forces go in all guns blazing. Included in those guests is Sally carrying Zahra's baby. They reunite in the back of a bus. Arjun is also out. Without any attention he slinks off to find his motor scooter and rides home to meet his wife and young daughter, who needless to say is very relieved to see him safe and well.

The terrorists are forced back into the Hotel Lobby surrounded by the heavily armed Special Forces. It all ends abruptly for the terrorists who are by now cowering behind the Reception desk, rapidly running out of ammunition, but still in communication with Big Bull. A member of the Special Forces makes a dash for the Reception desk, tosses a grenade over the top bringing a swift end to the terrorists and their siege on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. We subsequently learn that all but one of the ten terrorists survived, and of the fatalities over the four days half were Hotel personnel. The Hotel reopened its doors as good as new some thirteen months later, and many of that Team who survived also returned to their place of work to resume their old jobs.

'Hotel Mumbai' is a gripping true story that is well crafted and faithfully recreates real archival footage with the Directors vision, and that vision is unrelenting in its depiction of terror, wonton death and destruction at the hands of a small group of well armed committed activists who firmly believe in what they are doing. Whilst there are some action thriller cliches the film maintains the interest throughout, albeit uncomfortably so at times because the killing is so relentless and ever present. What is must be like to live through such an experience, and not knowing if your next breath will be your last, God only knows, but Director Anthony Maras pretty much takes you there offering a candid view of Hotel guests and staff, those poor unfortunates caught in the cross fire, those in the wrong place at the wrong time and of course the ten perpetrators as well, and it's not pretty and doesn't end well for many of them. The film has so far taken just under US$1M since its Release in the US last week too, and is certainly worth the price of your movie ticket.

'Hotel Mumbai' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

BEN-HUR : Wednesday 31st August 2016.

'BEN-HUR' is the fifth feature length big screen adaptation of the 1880 source novel 'Ben-Hur : A Tale of the Christ' by Lew Wallace. First made in 1907 in the form of a fifteen minute film, it was remade in 1925 in an epic silent film, the classic William Wyler Directed epic of 1959 with Charlton Heston, and an animated feature in 2003 starring the voice of Charlton Heston and made by his production company. The 1959 production of 'Ben-Hur' against which this 2016 version will inevitably be judged was budgeted at US$7M and blew out to US$15M and was the most expensive film ever made for its time, and used 1.1 million feet of film for principal photography, that was edited down to 19,000 feet for the final cut. The theatrical release ran for 212 minutes, and used a cast of thousands, literally, including 200 camels, 2,500 horses, 10,000 extras with 365 Actors having speaking parts. Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Rock Hudson, Paul Newman, Marlon Brando and Leslie Neilsen were all considered for the role of Judah Ben-Hur which went to Charlton Heston. The film opened to huge critical acclaim and delivered US$74M in Box Office receipts delivering MGM Studios over US$20M in profits and saving it from bankruptcy. The film was nominated in 12 categories at the 1960 Academy Awards and won an unprecedented eleven including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography and Best Effects. It also won four Golden Globes and one BAFTA - all up 27 wins and 13 nominations. It's Oscar wins have not yet been surpassed, matched only by 'Titanic' in 1998, and 'Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King' in 2004. Will Timur Bekmambetov's 2016 retelling of this classic tale live up to those heady expectations - both critically and commercially - you'll have to decide for yourself!

And so for a whole new audience possibly unfamiliar with the source material or the earlier films, comes this US$100M production Directed by Timur Bekmambetov. Most of you will know the age old story set in AD33 with Jack Huston playing Judah Ben-Hur - a Jewish Prince who has grown up with his adoptive brother, Messala Severus (Toby Kebbell), a Roman orphan in privileged surroundings in Jerusalem. The two have grown up to adulthood very close, as if blood brothers, with their mother Naomi (Ayelet Zurer), father Simonides (Haluk Bilgier) and sister Tirzah (Sofia Black D'Elia) whom Messala has the hots for. There is also a servant in the household, Esther (Nazanin Boniadi) whom Judah has the hots for too, but because of their differing 'station' in life he has to keep his distance.

The film opens eight years earlier with the two brothers horse racing (they like to challenge each other) and although Judah crossed the finish line first he is thrown from his horse and is knocked unconscious hitting his head on a rock. Messala carries his injured brother home on his back some distance, and is nursed back to strength by his mother over night. After a couple of days the two men are laughing about their exploits. However, underlying their brotherly love for each other Messala feels alienated in his adopted family given their differing backgrounds - them Jewish and he a Roman by birth. Under cover of darkness Messala bids farewell to his brother Judah and makes off for Rome to join the Roman Army to conquer new lands in the name of the Roman Empire. Meanwhile Judah marries Esther.

Fast forward three years and Messala returns home to Jerusalem the all conquering hero and a decorated Roman officer under Pontius Pilate (Pilou Asbaek) himself. After reconnecting with his family, and celebrating over dinner, Messala asks Judah to consider acting as his informant against the 'zealots' - those that stand up against the tyranny of the Romans, who seem to be making an increasing nuisance of themselves much to the disgust and distrust of the Romans whose aim is to stamp them, their families and associates out at all costs. Given his status in Jerusalem Messala also asks Judah to ensure that a pending visit of Pontius Pilate to Jerusalem go without any incident and guarantee the Governor of Judea safe passage. Judah agrees to do what he can, but cannot make any guarantees.

Needless to say Pilates passage through the streets of Jerusalem does not pass quietly and an assassination attempt in made on the Governor by a zealot from the rooftop of Judah's house who was secretly being nursed back to health following an attack by the Romans. The zealot escapes, but the Romans descend on Judah's house and coerce a confession out of him to safeguard his family. Judah's father is killed in the process and the women are taken away for cruxifixction. Judah is sentenced to be slaved aboard a galley, and Messala turns his back on his once close brother. Whilst being marched towards his fate aboard the galley he stumbles and falls walking through the crowds of onlookers. Jesus (Rodrigo Santoro) comes to his aid, and offers him water with Roman soldiers looking on.

With Judah thrown in the galley to spend the next five years as a rower under the command of Quintus Arius (James Cosmo), he becomes a battle weary yet a strong and determined slave to find his freedom and his family. During a sea battle with a Greek fleet Judah's galley is destroyed with all souls aboard perishing, except his! Going down with his galley mates he frees himself from his shackles and clings to a mast, floating at sea for days under the fierce heat. Eventually he washes ashore and is found by the wealthy Sheik Ilderim (Morgan Freeman) who recognises Judah to be a slave and as such plans to hand him back to the Romans. Judah however, persuades him otherwise by agreeing to tend to a sick horse, given that he knows a thing or two about horses, and the Sheik agrees.

Having proved his worth with the horse and formed a bond with the Sheik's other horses, Ilderim agrees to train Judah to become a chariot racer. In Jerusalem the construction of the new Circus is nearing completion, and a grand chariot race is to be staged for Pilate featuring his champion charioteer, Messala. Ilderim seeks to engineer Judah's entry into the upcoming race by laying a huge bet on his man that Pilate can hardly refuse together with Judah's freedom, and so Judah's place in the race is secured together with Rome's finest and those others from more far away lands. In the meantime, Judah returns to Jerusalem and encounters Esther who has become a follower of Jesus, but her new ideals are in direct conflict to his in seeking revenge on his brother.

As the race approaches, Judah reconnects with Messala at the old family home supposedly in secret, but Messala rocks up with half the Roman Army in tow. Judah makes a hasty retreat to evade capture, but to retaliate for his insolence twenty Jews are rounded up and summarily executed in the street. By now Esther is completely at odds with Judah, sharing completely differing views on his desire to compete in the chariot race and eek out his revenge on Messala. Meanwhile it has come to light through a former Roman Army official that Judah's mother and sister are in fact still alive and were saved from cruxifixction. Judah travels to where they are imprisoned only to discover that they are now both lepers.

The action moves to the epic scene in the Circus where eight charioteers face off against each other - 'First to Finish, Last to Die' is Ilderim's advice to Judah, and to start off slow and let all others perish before moving in for the kill. And so it goes, in what is a reasonably executed race sequence but the end result is inevitable where good overcomes evil, and as all other fall by the wayside it leaves just Messala and Judah to battle it our for line honours. The race goes to Judah, as Messala crashes and burns and is flung from the wreckage of his chariot. The crowd goes wild that the Jew has prevailed and the Roman Champion is dethroned. In the aftermath, Ilderim walks away with his winnings and the freedom of Judah, and the zealots are empowered that one of their own has won the day and stood up and been counted.

Afterwards when the dust has settled, Judah seeks out his brother who has survived, but has had a leg amputated at the knee as a result of his injuries sustained in the race. The two reconcile their differences. Meanwhile Esther is present when Jesus is taken captive in the Garden of Gethsemane, and then paraded through the streets bearing the cross and wearing the crown of thorns. Jesus stumbles and falls under the weight of the cross, and Judah is on hand to help him, just as Jesus did in reverse years earlier, but is prevented from doing so by a Roman soldier. Judah attends the cruxifixction and makes eye contact with Jesus looking down from cross, muttering his last words 'forgive them, for they know not what they do'. At that the clouds close in, the skies darken and the heavens open with a downpour of torrential rain. . . and all around miracles occur - including Jadah's mother and sister being cured of leprosy. Ilderim pays their ransom so that they may be set free reuniting them again with Judah and Messala. And they all rode off into the sunset and lived happily ever after!

In the final analysis I thought this retelling of 'Ben-Hur' was better than critics give it credit for, but it is not up there with William Wyler's 1959 epic and nor is likely to garner any Academy Award wins or nominations for that matter I would think. Nonetheless, it is a solid enough retelling of the film that does not veer too far from the story as told in 1959 - it just condenses it into under two-thirds of the running time. The chariot race scene is well executed without being too violent or over bloody, the following of Jesus is not melodramatic or overplayed and contributes to Judah's story arc, and the building of the journey that both Judah and Messala take in their lives only to come full circle is reasonably well conceived, although different from Wyler's film in that Messala (Stephen Boyd) dies from his injuries after the chariot race. It's worth a look for sure and on the big screen too. The film has so far taken US$53M.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-