“Watching Russell Crowe’s directorial debut, The Water Diviner, there’s a sense that in another era the film might have been a vehicle for a Gary Cooper or Errol Flynn type. It’s a modern movie that’s decidedly old-school, unapologetically melodramatic and epic in both the scope of its story and the scale of its production—that the film is unevenly made scarcely matters (though for many, Crowe’s craft and narrative choices might be a dealbreaker). He likes overhead shots—like really,really likes them—and at times it seems he struggled to pick what footage to leave in and to cut out. The editing is rough. The tonal shifts from romance to wartime thrills are rougher still.” (Via Paste Magazine.)
