Ágora

The story is almost timeless and definitely manages to captivate, the setting is grandiose, and the actors, led by the beautiful (Miss Teacher) Rachel Weisz and the fanatical Ashraf Barhom are very good. Amenábar is good at telling stories, and despite sometimes trying too hard to manipulate situations to reflect current problems, he navigates the story with a firm hand. I really appreciated that the sub-plot was devoted to exploring the universe (thanks to that we have breathtaking footage from space) and one of the most remarkable libraries of the ancient world. (07/22/2010)

...and since they didn't beat each other up back then, they're still fighting to this day. The only difference is that stones and sticks are no longer in use and have been replaced by much more "advanced" weapons. That’s too bad. My hat is off to both Amenábar the screenwriter and Amenábar the director, for he has managed to put together a film in which I have nothing to fault. There is no need to think long about the relevance of his idea, nor is it necessary to consider whether Rachel Weisz is better looking or better acting (it's a tie, of course), I fell in love with Marianelli's soundtrack a long time ago... But I was absolutely stunned by how good Agora looks. The director intersperses breathtaking aerial shots of a living Alexandria with stunning space views of Earth, perhaps to suggest that someone is watching the mayhem going on below... If that's the case, I wonder if that someone is grinning in amusement or shaking his head and wrinkling his forehead in despair. (11/19/2011)

I’m satisfied. From the smart, witty story and from Amenábar's directorial concept, which does not pander to the taste of the ordinary viewer. Plus, I have a soft spot for strong female characters, which Hypatia undoubtedly was; a wise woman, eager to learn and explore, a strong and independent person. I bet it was a pleasure for Rachel Weisz to play a role like that. The clever script outlines many interesting historical aspects: the twilight of the Roman Empire, religious obscurantism, the beginnings of blood feuds between the early Christians and Jews, and also interestingly outlines contemporary thinking about our solar system – the theory of Ptolemy and the heliocentric view held by Aristarchus. Amenábar has delivered a though-provoking historical movie here. (07/20/2010)

On the one hand, I'm tired of a lot of movies taking place around the year 0, and Caesar or Jesus is at least mentioned everywhere. I was hoping for something completely different when they managed to make something set in 391 A.D., but in the end, it's just another old familiar clash on the theme of Quo Vadis - where do you go with Christianity now that religion is allowed? Unfortunately, the parallels with medieval obscurantism are many, and the story of Hypatia is as hopeless as Witchhammer. Maybe this is the way it was meant to be, but formally it's not that great, and aside from Rachel Weisz, there aren't any great actors to attract my empathy. (03/27/2012)

Quite possibly the best film by Alejandro Amenábar and a great serving of history from ancient Alexandria with the beautiful Rachel Weisz to boot. Very nicely shot, with some gritty scenes of people being stoned alive, nicely narrated, clearly told and rich in religion. There aren't many great historical films and I appreciate every one. Great. 85%. (11/27/2017)