The Promise 2016

     The setting of this film is the early part of the 20^th century when the Turks turned against their fellow Armenian townspeople.  Their goal was to wipe out all of these people.  The Turks allied with Germany in WWI and over a million Armenians were killed.  The Turks still decline to acknowledge that any of this happened?  Mikael Boghosian is an apothecary from a village in Southern Turkey.  He would like to study to be a doctor but he can’t afford the school.  He agrees to marry in order to secure the bride’s dowry for school.  He meets Anna and they fall in love despite his promise and the fact that Anna is married to Chris Myers.  Chris is an American journalist committed to telling the world about the genocide.   When WWI efforts by the Turks begin to increase, Mikael is sent to a labor camp.  He manages to escape and returns to his village to find out about his family.

     This is a very involved and there are terrible moments for the Armenians.  Everyone is fleeing the area to escape the Turks.  No one knows how long they will be able to live.  Anna and Mikael begin working to help take orphans to the coast to be placed on boats headed to safety.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

133 min, Drama directed by Terry George with Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Le Bon, Christian Bale, Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Marwan Kenzari, Angela Sarafyan, Tom Hollander, Numan Acar, Igal Naor, Milene Mayer, Tamer Hassan Alicia Borrachero, Able Folk, Jean Reno.

Note:  Imdb 6.0 out of 10, 50% critic 93% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, roger Ebert 3*, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 243 reviews, Rolling Stone 2 ½* out of 4*, Metacritic 49 out of 100 with 30 critics 7.1 out of 10 with 145 reviews, The Guardian 2* out of 5* review by Wendy Ide

Special Note:  Filmed in Malta; Lisbon, Portugal; Castilla-La Mancha, Aragon, Castilla y Leon, Murcia, Madrid and Andalucia, Spain; Cold Spring Harbor, New York.  There is another film with the same title from 1999.