“The Promise” is a period piece romance set during the Armenian genocide. If that is how you want to spend an April afternoon, then read on. The film’s producer spend decades trying to get a stylized Casablanca romance set during the Armenian genocide. Given that the genocide didn’t become Social Justice fodder until the 00s, it took some time to get this movie off the ground. Now, here we are. Well, judging by the box office receipts…I guess it’s just a few of us here.
This is a beautifully designed movie with ultimately nothing to say. The romance is forgettable and the pacing issues makes the film feel like it is 6 hours long. Bale tries to make the material work, but he rarely gets a chance to headline his true star power. Everyone feels like they are racing to keep up with the manic script changes. That is the only time the word ‘manic’ will be used to describe this slower than dirt film. I can’t wait for a podcast to rediscover this movie 30 years into the future. The sheer oddity of this spectacle needs a few years to mature into laughs.
