Review of The Water Diviner (2014) by Maksim B — 24 Nov 2015

An engaging, old-fashioned historical drama, The Water Diviner is a pleasing debut of Russell Crowe in the director's seat. Well-craftet, well-acted and with a story to keep the whole family intrigued, this movie is a formidable choice for home entertainment during the winter season.

An Australian farmer (Russell Crowe) decides to head to Turkey years after the end of WW I in order to find his missing three sons. Left with no one after the suicide of his wife, Connor has no other aim in his life, but finding at least the remnants of his sons. When Istanbul is reached he finds himself in a place still hurting from the wounds of the defeat, a state torn between the past and the possible Republican future and he has to establish difficult relationships with people who have been responsible for his sons' deaths.

The story is smoothly told with multiple sub-plot lines which nicely accompany the otherwise boring search for Connor's sons. With picturesque cinematography and convincing presence of Crowe, Olga Kurylenko and Yilmaz Erdogan as Major Hasan, The Water Diviner might not be epically spectacular, but it remains sentimentally engaging and thematically rich. The second part of the movie is definitely faster, more action oriented and delivers pleasing feel-good twists.

Overall, The Water Diviner is definitely far from being an unforgettable movie or an instant classic, but as a directorial debut of Russell Crowe it is more than promising. If you are looking for a winter home entertainment, while sipping from a glass of red wine with your better half, this is definitely a movie that I would recommend.