Orbit

Agora (2009)

Rachel Weisz stars in this historical drama set in Roman Egypt in the 4th century. Greek philosopher and astronomer Hypatia is trying to solve the problem of the Ptolemaic system while religious trouble is kicking off in her home town of Alexandria.

It is hard to pin down what this film is really about as the scientific portion involving Weisz has little historical evidence to back up her specific discoveries and the religious portions are largely about the Christians pushing out first the polytheists and then the Jews which has nothing to do with astronomy. The religious turmoil does not even act as a juxtaposition for scientific turmoil over a new and radical theory as there is no depiction of any scientific turmoil or debate of Hypatia's theories.

There is some great cinematography and clearly a large amount has been spent on making this film the inability to be one thing or another does hinder the film some what. What the film does most is provide a good snap shot of the troubles facing Alexandria and presumably other areas of the Roman Empire at the time but the central characters are an awkward fit in my opinion.

3/5 a well made if confused film.