Open Road Films has released the first trailer for the Armenian genocide dramaThe Promise. Directed byHotel RwandafilmmakerTerry George, the film starsOscar Isaacas a medical student whose relationship with a fellow Armenian girl (played byCharlotte Le Bron) strikes up a rivalry with the woman’s American journalist boyfriend (played byChristian Bale) and becomes downright dangerous as the Ottoman Empire begins to crumble. As the Turks begin rounding up any and all Armenians in what would become a genocide, these three characters attempt to navigate their way to survival.
I caught this movie at the Toronto International Film Festival last September (read my full review here) and it’s almost impressively old fashioned. My first thought leaving the theater was that it felt like a movie that wins Best Picture in the mid-90s. It’s long, it’s sweeping, it’s somewhat boring, and it tackles a very important historical event with movie stars. Plus the sappy romance, of course. It’s not a bad movie per se, and it’s undoubtedly covering a very important and horrific historical event, but the craft and form—from the script to the performances—almost feels out of date.
But you may very well feel differently when you see the film for yourself. Check out the trailer below.The Promiseopens in theaters on April 21st and also starsShoreh Aghdashloo.
Here’s the official synopsis forThe Promise:
Empires fall, love survives. When Michael (Oscar Isaac), a brilliant medical student, meets Ana (Charlotte Le Bon), their shared Armenian heritage sparks an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between Michael and Ana’s boyfriend Chris (Christian Bale), a famous American photojournalist dedicated to exposing political truth. As the Ottoman Empire crumbles into war-torn chaos, their conflicting passions must be deferred while they join forces to get their people to safety and survive themselves. The Promise is directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Terry George.
