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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Ten nonprofit proposals get a chance to pitch for support Full slate of events set for Independent Media Week Teacher's Tips: Spring! Time for standarized testing Adjustments, contributions keep Mt. Ashland on course Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland to host Thanks for the Memories' 'Company' for one night Education Ten nonprofit proposals get a chance to pitch for support Teacher's Tips: Spring! Time for standarized testing Schneider Children's Center set to close Ashland School District seeks volunteers for Educators' Appreciation Luncheon Planning meeting set Wednesday for farewell party Environment Adjustments, contributions keep Mt. Ashland on course Rarely seen Pacific fisher to have prominent spot Students at Walker Elementary School in Ashland get hands dirty for Earth Day Ashland Fire & Rescue Alarm Box: There are good fires and there are bad fires Lots to celebrate at SOU Arbor Day rites Business Adjustments, contributions keep Mt. Ashland on course Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland to host Thanks for the Memories' 'Company' for one night Cars We Remember: Mr. Hot Rod’s 1966 Chevelle 396 Ride & Drive: 2015 Ford F-150 FX4 Ride & Drive: 2015 Nissan Frontier Politics and elections Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved Arthur I. Cyr: Britain’s earthquake election Council wants changes to agreement with ODOT for I-5 welcome center Arthur I. Cyr: Afghanistan progress is uneven but undeniable State News Bill under debate in Oregon would limit livestock antibiotics Oregon lawmakers begin minimum wage debate Runners to follow historic salmon migration path Nation - World There's a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central Tsarnaev convicted on all charges in Boston Marathon bombing Obituaries Death Notices Mary Margaret Galati F. Jane Hooper Laurence G. (Larry) Corbin William (Bill) Huett Shareable Sports Latest Stories Blazers stay alive Fourteen Raiders earn CCC academic honors Adjustments, contributions keep Mt. Ashland on course Fantasy Sports: A farewell toast to ‘niche’ faithful Two Raiders place seventh in CCC Multis High school Two Raiders place seventh in CCC Multis Neal, Reitman lead SOU at multi-event championships Ashland Karate Academy racks up trophies in Medford Ashland drops eight-inning pitchers' duel SOU swept, but gets help in playoff race Southern Oregon University Fourteen Raiders earn CCC academic honors Two Raiders place seventh in CCC Multis Neal, Reitman lead SOU at multi-event championships SOU's Maguin pockets fourth CCC honor SOU swept, but gets help in playoff race Voices Latest Stories Our View: Child care conundrum Letters to the Editor, April 28 Council Corner: Strategic plan sets goals for city Granlund cartoon: Prom safety Granlund cartoon: Prom fairy godmother Editorial Our View: Child care conundrum Our View: Fun with university funding formulas Our View: Passion vs. practicality spelled demise of Ashland theater company Our View: Raises raise eyebrows Our View: Close gun-sale loophole Letters Letters to the Editor, April 28 Letters to the Editor, April 27 Letters to the Editor, April 25 Letters to the Editor, April 23 Letter at Length, April 22 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: A good day to act Guest Opinion: Allegations unfair to Dr. Tomashefsky Guest Opinion: Fremont cottonwood is not a hazard Columns Council Corner: Strategic plan sets goals for city Chris Honoré: Things for which there are simply no satisfactory explanations Herb Rothschild Jr.: 'Right to rest' misguided Guest Opinion: A good day to act Jeffrey Gillespie: Bad cops vs. smartphones Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Cut up that poetry Community blog: Workshop on writing and craft Ashland Middle School to perform "Shrek Jr." musical A Taste of Ashland returns Five picks for entertainment this week Theater Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland to host Thanks for the Memories' 'Company' for one night Ticket Availability Ashland Middle School to perform "Shrek Jr." musical Ashland New Plays Festival is ready to grow, says new director Ticket Availability Music The Farr Side: Slow disappearance of physical music On TV: Your guide to the Academy of Country Music Awards The Farr Side: Intriguing time on the Hot 100 Joanne Rand at the Unitarian Fellowship The Farr Side: Is Kelly Clarkson’s weight truly news?  Visual Art More films, excitement than ever for AIFF Ashland's First Friday Art Walk Movies Movie review: ‘Lambert and Stamp’ doc tells who was behind The Who Movie review: ‘Ex Machina’ is the droid you’re looking for Movie review: Fairly smooth sailing for ‘The Water Diviner’ Movie review: ‘Age of Adaline’ is sweet but a little sloppy Movie review: Powerful, tense kidnapping story ‘24 Days’ delivers a strong message Food and Drink Business profile: Couple opens second Pita Pit in Ashland Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Food for Thought: Grill up a storm as the weather gets warm Rogues Episode 2.9: Into the Cave of the White Dragon Season Stepp: Make seared steak fajitas for Cinco De Mayo Prudence Hilburn: Funnel cakes range from sweet to savory Prudence Hilburn: Mayo now used as binding agent in baking Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Child care conundrum ... Council Corner: Strategic plan sets goals for city ... Ashland Calendar, Tuesday, April 28 ... Our View: Child care conundrum ... Council Corner: Strategic plan sets goals for city ... Ashland Calendar, Tuesday, April 28 ... Movie review: Fairly smooth sailing for 'The Water Diviner' By Dana Barbuto The Patriot Ledger DailyTidings.com By Dana Barbuto The Patriot Ledger Posted Apr. 24, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Dana Barbuto The Patriot Ledger Posted Apr. 24, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Russell Crowe won an Oscar acting, broke eardrums as a singer and now the budding Renaissance man is giving directing a whirl with the Aussie war drama “The Water Diviner.” He’s not a total success, but you won’t hear him blaming his leading man because it’s him in the title role of an Australian farmer traveling to Turkey in search of his three sons who went missing during the Gallipoli Campaign. Joshua Connor is called the Diviner because he has an uncanny knack for finding the impossible, like water in the arid outback. But the quest to find his kids — dead or alive — might not be so easy. And the script — from Andrew Anastasios and Andrew Knight — exploits Joshua’s quest with melodramatic flourishes that might make your eyes mist, then roll. The fact-based film starts out in Turkey in 1915 depicting a particularly bloody battle that leaves nearly 10,000 Ottoman and Australian soldiers dead. Then it flashes forward four years to a modest farm in the Outback, where Crowe’s Joshua lives with his grief-stricken and ill-fated wife (Jacqueline McKenzie). Soon, Joshua finds himself on a monthlong boat trip to Turkey, where a precocious boy (Dylan Georgiades, a little ham!) leads him to the inn run by his beautiful mother (Olga Kurylenko). You can figure out where this is headed from the get-go. Before that happens, though, Joshua will make his way to the Gallipoli battlefield, now just “one big grave” and filled with collapsed bunkers, grenades, bullets and bodies. Flashback scenes show the brutal battle that was devastating for the Allied forces. Because Joshua is the “only father who came looking,” an army colonel (Jai Courtney) reluctantly helps him search the 8-square-mile grounds. So does an Ottoman major with the nickname “Hassan the Assassin” (a terrific Yilmaz Erdogan), who is anxious to assuage his guilt. The mutual respect and friendship the two men develop is awkward but endearing. Erdogan and Crowe have a good dynamic that the script finds a way to exploit. Heavy-handed are the themes of personal struggle and the wide-reaching casualties of war. Crowe gives a performance that runs the gamut of emotion. He’s patient, giddy, dejected, frustrated, elated, embarrassed. It’s nice to see after the stinkers — “Winter’s Tale” and — he’s been in lately. From the director’s chair, Crowe delivers a film — shot in Australia and Turkey — that is gorgeous to look at and uses natural surroundings, such as the Blue Mosque, to full effect. The mood is certainly there. Problems arise with tone and pacing. Engrossing in parts, the story has a tendency to drag, be repetitive and rely on gimmicks, from the fortune-telling coffee cups to Joshua’s sixth sense for suddenly finding things. Then there’s some melodrama and predictability involving subplots with the hot innkeeper and her son. Although that part feels contrived, Crowe has a genuine attachment to the movie because it’s a very Australian story that honors families who have lost a loved one to war. Dana Barbuto may be reached at [email protected], or you can follow her on Twitter at @dbarbuto_Ledger. “THE WATER DIVINER,” rated R for war violence, including some disturbing images. Cast: Russell Crowe, Olga Kurylenko, Yilmaz Erdogan, Jai Courtney, Dylan Georgiades. Grade: B-. By Dana Barbuto The Patriot Ledger DailyTidings.com By Dana Barbuto The Patriot Ledger Posted Apr. 24, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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