Review of The Promise (2016) by Julia M — 23 Apr 2017

"The Promise" has noble intentions and does a great job of educating and bringing attention to the Armenian Genocide, however the overcomplicated plot and lack of time well spent throughout the film turn this could-be epic into a bit of a drag that's tough to stay emotionally invested in.

The individual performances are all great, especially that of Oscar Isaac; however, the tired love triangle routine makes it difficult for the audience to fully engage with the main characters. It was particularly disappointing to see the film's predictable misuse of Angela Sarafyan's character.

The film is much too long, a feeling that is exacerbated by the consistent lulls that kill any ongoing tension. I was hoping to get a satisfying conclusion about 30 minutes after the dramatic climax of the film, however it seemed to continue on forever in a disconcerting, circuitous way.

This is a film that should be seen and appreciated at least once, however most viewers probably won't make the effort of watching it thereafter.