Review of The Age of Shadows (2016) by Tal G — 08 Apr 2018

A stylish spectacle.

It's a pretty familiar tale, not much in terms of narrative innovation here. Not much actually surprises here. Despite being a rather mediocre story, it's told really well. It's a really solid spy adventure.

The production is pretty much perfect. The sets, the costumes, the locations. Everything looks incredibly authentic and sharp. They didn't cut any corners while making this. It's also very beautiful to look at. Sharp visuals, very competent cinematography, plenty of picturesque scenes. The action was very well done. All these points felt like genuine quality.

Most of the actors did their jobs very well. Admirable performances. It's a strong ensemble cast.

The music was fitting, playing around a lot to enhance the scenes. Had a great character. Didn't feel inorganic.

The only thing that keeps this movie from being really great is just the lack of a refreshing story. What we see in this movie is very familiar, at almost every turn. It's definitely not bad, but it lacked a spark to light it up.

Still, I enjoyed it. It was a quality period piece. Very well made. It felt like it was an important movie for everybody involved. Good for them on this project.