Not bad but could be better.

I enjoyed this. Russell Crowe always gives a good performance and reminds me why he is one of my favorites.

Russell Crowe really nailed this film on his part, both acting and directing (such interesting frames and angles, pleasure to the eye and I believe a good material for directors' educating systems). But aside from that I feel that some parts of the film weren't historically accurate, especially the principle of Australians - they were recruited as a former British colony, that's all. And in general, a Russian woman playing Turkish one and speaking with a Russian accent, not Eastern at all - seems kinda unbelievable to my critically obnoxious nature :) But as a fan of Crowe - he's great here, as an actor and director.

This was entertaining. It failed a bit for me in attempting to be a realistic portrayal of what went on in this time period, when the interactions between characters constantly felt like they were out of a Lifetime movie. That said, the story and pacing were good enough to keep me interested throughout. A decent watch if it's readily available. I wouldn't go out of my way for this one.

The beginning was a little sketchy for me but once I got into to, I loved this one!