August 18, 2010 0354

Black Death could have been so much more than it was.

The story is great, however it is bogged down by sub-par acting, and a truly bad director (Christopher Smith).

The biggest mistake made by Smith is that he thinks the movie is more dramatic then it is. Early on, the protagonist has some misfortune and you're expected to care, even though you've never seen this character before and he's only been in the movie a couple minutes. It seems to me that if you want a viewer to care about a character, you need to build him/her up first, otherwise you're making the assumption that your viewer is overly compassionate.

The acting was just bad. The only person in the movie who seemed believable in their role was Carice van Houten, who very successfully delivered all of her lines.

Had this movie had a better director and cast, it could have been much better. Still though, I was thoroughly entertained for two hours. I give this movie a 7 out of 10.