Rachel Weisz plays Hypatia, ancient philosopher, in a story of the destruction of the library of Alexandria and religious strife in that city. I was surprised to like it as much as I did – the era’s not necessarily my standout favorite. However, the story is gripping and sad, and the design and cinematography are really stunning. They built real sets, as opposed to digital, and it shows — I can’t say whether it’s accurate, but I had a real sense of what ancient Alexandria may have looked and felt like. And there were some really visually stunning shots that just need to be seen. I know little to nothing about ancient costume, so I can’t really comment there — nothing jumped out as horrible!
