Fridae

At 3-hours long, this biopic on Alexander the Great is a little
butt-numbing. But considering that we get to see a shot of Colin
Farrell's bubble butt, it's worth it.

Colin plays the legendary Macedonian soldier-king who became the
monarch of Greece at 20 and conquered most of the known world by
25. He died of poison at the age of 32 in 323 BC.

Farrell — in a blonde wig and sexy thigh-revealing togas
— gives a credible performance as the bisexual ruler who had
both male and female lovers.

Directed by Oliver Stone, an old-hand at making biopics of famous
men like JFK and Nixon, the movie is vast and ambitious in detailing
the rise and fall of Alexander against magnificent backdrops and
ornate settings. But, as is usually the problem with 3-hour-long
historical dramas, Alexander isn't always consistent — it
soars in some parts and sags in others.

For queers like us, the movie is certainly worth watching for its
depiction of a different era when societal attitudes towards homosexual
sex were more accepting — even celebratory. And director Stone
should be given credit for depicting this more honestly than most
Hollywood directors would have.

Still, double standards prevail: Whereas Alexander's heterosexual
sex scenes with his wife Roxane (Rosario Dawson) are portrayed graphically,
his gay love for Hephaistion (Jared Leto) are only expressed through
deep gazes and brotherly hugs. (Read the review of Alexander
on Fridae Lifestyle this Thursday!)