Movie Review: Pompeii (2014) **SPOILERS**

Pompeii (2014)

They did make the posters look totally bad ass..

 This is a film I wanted to see for a long time, but in the normal way I do things, I say I want to see it and completely forget about it for a couple years. I wanted to see this film for one reason, and one reason alone. Kit Harrington. His role in Game of Thrones is absolutely spectacular, and this makes me want to see more of his work. Keep reading to find out what I thought, who I thought had the best and worst performace and how I think the screen writers did on recreating the true story of the pompeii disaster.

 The first thing that I want to talk about to do with this movie is the good shape Kit Harrington was in, I didn't realise that underneath his black uniform from Game of Thrones that there would be a perfectly sculpted 6 pack under there. And of course he would have to have this in order to play the part as he was a gladiator I suppose. His character "Cassius" was an orphan when he was young, as his family was killed when rome invaded england.

How beautiful can one man be??

As interesting as films are when they are based on a true story, it almost feels like the screen writers have made this into a fantasy about love rather than the heart wrenching disaster which actually killed many families, children included. Versuvius held no prisoners, and didn't care if you were rich or poor, white or black, tall or short - everyone in the vicinity died.  At the first meeting between Cassius and the leading lady, Casia, it is almost impossible not to pre think the whole entire movie, a love story about a lady and a slave. A slave who is british and very attractive might I add. 
You can always tell when there is going to be a story line about love, just by that single scene where they meet, although he was completely oblivious to the fact that she was clearly swooning over him, he was simply trying to help a horse who fell and broke its leg when a cart went over a pothole.

The first scene of Cassius/Casia.

Adewale Akinnuoye-abaje in Lost.

 What I didn't know was about to happen, was that he would be put against the champion of pompeii, which just so happened to be Adewale Akinnuoye-Abaje. I first saw this man in Lost,  his performance in this programme was immense, and so I was very glad to see him again, after I will admit, I completely forgot about him as an actor. However in Pompeii he played the character "Atticus", and although Kit Harrington was beautiful for the eye to see, I felt that this man had much more about him, because he truly made you believe he could be that man. He could be the man who has lost everyone he loves, who has one more fight and they will let him free, who has freedom within his grasp and he will do anything to taste it. There is something about Adewale's eyes, he is a very intense actor. 

Kit and Adewale in their short lived friendship

He has a funny rivalry with Kit, they are supposed to hate one another, they are meant to fight to the death of one of them, but they end up working together to keep one another alive. There are some great suspense building scenes where Atticus races against a tsunami to save a fallen woman and child, which is touching, although even more horrific when you think they would have likely died anyway. There is also a scene between Casia and her best friend, her friend stays behind to make sure that she got out of there safely, but then is killed when the cliff she is on caves in underneath her feet. I must give the woman who played Milo credit for that scene, she did show what seemed to be real emotion for the woman.
It is around then that you see that there is more than the love story to this film, there is a side storyline about revenge. Cassius's family was killed when he was a boy, they were a farming family in england, and the senator of rome had been there. Cassius was then found and sold into slavery. 

Senator

 I always credit actors for what they are good at, some are good at making us love them, some are good at making us cry, some are relatable, and some make us hate them terribly. I have felt great hatred for some characters in the past, especially Joffrey from Game of Thrones, but I am not one of those who will go out of my way to make that poor boys life difficult. It is a great talent to be able to make us hate you, when you are not portraying yourself. The Senator in this film made me dislike him, and so I must say that he did a great job, because he made me feel. Of course in the ending Cassius has his revenge on the Senator, and he gets the girl, only to be engulfed in the eruption of vesuvius.

This is what was left behind by the real pompeii disaster.

Why would the Gods let this happen? - Casia

She has a point. This is a question which has been asked throughout the generations when religion comes into it. Why would a loving god let this happen to innocent people? To the elderly, or a child?

I guess everyone wants someone to look at them like Cassius looked at Casia before they were engulfed in the eruption. Is this why relationships are so destined to fail? Because we forget the person that we are with, and we complicate everything by constantly comparing our relationships to others, to things we have seen in movies, and how we think everything should play out in our head. Perhaps we should spend more time in the moment with the one we love rather than forgetting about it and getting comfortable. 

Originally when I wrote about this film in my book, I gave it a 5*, but now having time to reflect I am not so caught up in the emotions of the film and this probably dims to a 4*, although this would likely change when I watch it again. Would I watch it again? Most definitely. 

Have you seen this film? What did you think? Do you have any recommendations for what you would like to see on here next? Comment below :) 

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