SANDOW

Written by: Gerard Maurez  / Alexander Cooper |   Directed by: Alexander Cooper |  Genre: Drama / Historical
Reviewed by Rick Murrin.

Eugen Sandow, the Father of Bodybuilding 1857-1925, reads on a plaque next to an unmarked grave that Sandow’s wife refused to mark. It’s something that sticks with you. SANDOW, this film, is told through the eyes of a friend and fellow bodybuilder, Launceston Elliot played by Alexander Cooper (writer, director). Sandow grew up in Prussia. He was a small boy. His father tells him that he will never achieve anything of worth in this world. And yet, Eugen Sandow left an incredible legacy in not only bodybuilding but also health and wellness, which is all the rage today. He is credited with the first Bodybuilding competition in 1901 at Royal Albert Hall – a judge alongside Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.This film follows most of these triumphs and starts out with such amazing promise. A small boy wrestles with a lion in an old sepia-toned film. Elliot starts to tell Sandow’s story as he hobbles along with his cane. Timo Kervinen plays Sandow very well for the most part. Now I usually separate my reviews by the technical and the personal, but I have to go to the technical side for a moment right away. The sound is plagued by sync issues throughout most of the movie, as well as many dropouts. There is also a strange flange-y sound that runs through some scenes. There are also times when I wonder if Sandow is speaking a foreign language and they are using an English voice-over – it was quite distracting.

Worth noting is that there is some excellent acting by the whole cast. This could be a great movie if the powers that be could re-edit the sound and cut out some of the more awkward scenes. I am now fascinated by this man to who I have just been introduced. Sandow was a great subject choice for a film, and for that, I applaud Gerard Maurez and Alexander Cooper for a very well-written movie. I can’t help but feel that a slightly harsher edit to this film could make a huge difference. As it stands right now, I’m going to give the movie a 3.5 / 5-star review. Thank you for reading.

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