One fine performance and well-made, but overrated

Rating: 5/10 (23 October 2002)

At the Oscars, this movie was showered in awards and I cannot honestly say that I understand why. It is all very professionally made and the story itself is truly touching and so I guess that any modestly competent director could wring out some strong scenes from it. Russell Crowe is impressive, but somehow he never convinces me that he is someone else than Russel Crowe. Jennifer Connelly is competent, but her academy award was undeserved. Her performance is mostly not a very memorable one, acting out almost all the different and sometimes difficult scenes professionally but with no personality. It like there is a switch on her back, set from OFF to CARE.
The fault may not be with her acting abilities though because Ron Howard's direction is, as always, very slick and without an ounce of character. He knows what he is doing every second throughout the movie and where to push the right buttons for "emotions". All in all, a perfect date movie or something to watch if you have a couple of hours to spare. But I cannot shake the feeling that this touching and true human story could have been more memorable in some other directors hand. Because a week after watching, I really don't remember many moments that have lingered in the mind.