A DIRECTOR like Jean-Jaques Annaud should know by now that a great cast doesn’t always result in a great film.

His latest feature is proof of this, being stuck somewhere between a desert-set epic and family drama.

Black Gold is a story of loyalty and greed as one boy goes on a journey that will see him end it as a man.

Emir of Hobeika, Nesib (Antonio Banderas) comes together with rival Amar (Mark Strong), Sultan of Salmaah to thrash out a peace deal over the Yellow Belt.

For years battles have raged over the land but Nesib declares the Yellow Belt will be left alone if Amar allows his two young sons to be adopted by Nesib.

As the boys – Auda (Tahar Rahim) and Saleeh (Akin Gazi) – grow up it’s clear they are both very different. Auda is bookish and sensitive, happiest with his nose in a book, while Saleeh likes the rush of a hunt out in the desert.

When Texans roll up to Nesib’s Kingdom they inform him the Yellow Belt sits above oil – or Black Gold – that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. Despite his peace agreement with Amar, Nesib agrees to let the Americans set up wells and he is quickly benefiting from the outcome.

Building hospitals, schools and libraries, as well as improving the weapons and vehicles of his army, Nesib tries to weather the imminent storm from Salmaah by offering Amar a percentage of whatever money is made from the venture.

However, Amar is man of faith and has no time for money or the trappings it provides, saying all a man needs is life and love to be rich.

Part of the ‘deal’ put forward also includes the return of his two sons, but the Sultan still rejects it. When the news gets back to Auda and Saleeh, the latter takes it upon himself to escape and try to make his way back to Salmaah, but it ends in tragedy.

Auda, meanwhile is married to his lifelong love, Princess Leyla (Freida Pinto) and used as a pawn by Nesib to try and gain the upperhand. Sent back to his real father as an emissary of peace, Auda soon has a new outlook on life.

When Amar informs his son he wants to force Nesib to return to their original agreement, the boy realises war is afoot.

Joining his father and newly-discovered half brother Ali (Riz Ahmed), they set off with a small army on a journey that will have massive ramifications for everyone.

Black Gold is a strange beast. With a running time of two hours, the first hour drags in as the scene is set for the finale. It’s unfortunate that things are so turgid during this period, however it’s saved by the performances of the male leads.

While Strong is barely in the first hour or so, whenever he does appear on screen he provides gravitas to a role that could have so easily been forgettable. Banderas, meanwhile, is the villain of the peace with a performance that threatens to become almost panto-like without ever fully veering into that territory.

It’s Rahim who is the real star of the show though with a journey that is both profound and poignant. Having already hit the headlines for his star turn in A Prophet, he again proves he’s a brilliant actor as he sets out for war as a meek, apprehensive young man and ends it as a commanding leader.

Ahmed, as the half brother, brings some comedic quips to the show that jar with everything that had come before, but also provide some much-needed light relief.

If there’s a weak link among the cast, it’s Pinto, unsurprisingly. Used as nothing more than window-dressing, her part could have been played by any actress.

While things certainly take their time to get going, and the snail-like pace of the first hour will test the patience of many, it’s worth sticking with Black Gold if only for the performances and a decent, if somewhat, contrived ending.

Black Gold is released in UK cinemas on February 24.