A movie about a biblical tale will always spawn controversy, whether you stay close to the origins of the story or take your liberties. Director Darren Aronofsky's version of Noah's tale ranks somewhere in between. You can tell that he did his homework, but it's also clear that he'll get a lot of opposition about the added fantastic elements and Noah's character development in the final act. In the end every viewer, atheist and believers alike, will have to make up their own mind about the film and the story.

From an artistic point of view there is little to complain about. Aronofsky conjures up breath-taking visuals and special effects, great cinematography and you can tell he knows how to direct actors. From Russel Crowe's great physical presence that carries the film down to the shortest roles of the child actors, Aronofsky manages to generate excellent performances by everyone, even baby face Lorman who hasn't exactly had an impressive track record of multi-dimensional roles so far.

Both the director's art house fans and the religious purists might have problems with the fantastic elements of the film that culminate in an almost Lord of the Rings-esque battle between rock Transformers and an opposing army. That scene does feel out of place in the film, despite of its flawless effects and great visuals. But the third and final act suddenly shows Aronofsky comfortable in his true element: directing actors in narrow space, telling the story of a person obsessed with their dreams (see: Black Swan, The Wrestler). Here, the film finds its dramatic footing and can rely on its actors for a pretty strong solution and surprisingly touching ending.

Of course the message of preserving nature and having respect for all beings is somewhat simplistic and naive, some might say preachy. But at least it's got its heart at the right place and in this day and age more important than ever.

Was Aronofsky torn between two point of views when creating this or did he enjoy taking the middle path? Few scenes help you decide to answer that, especially not the beautifully animated story of creation Noah tells his family, that's combining biblical texts while showing a pretty scientific depiction of the big bang and evolution. I've decided to applaud Aronofsky for this attempt, even if the result is far from flawless or particularly even. At least it's a very peculiar, odd and challenging film that doesn't rely on the easy way out and yet manages to be entertaining at any moment.

7 out of 10 berries.