Good, but too long

Rating: 6/10 (22 March 2008)

A young girl (Ronan) tells a lie that literally destroys some lives. As an adult she tries to atone for that lie.
I cringe when I hear about an Award type movie with Britons as the characters knowing I will go see it, but also knowing that I will cringe because I cannot understand what they are saying because the director has the characters talking way too fast. I have gone on record to say that all British movies must have Michael Caine talking all the male parts and Jane Seymour doing all the female parts. At least when those two speak I can understand what they are saying. Is that too much to ask? Apparently so.
The Academy gave a Best Picture nomination to this movie because they couldn't understand what was being said also, and because the movie was British and understandably superior to American movies, they raved to everyone about it. The kicker is the people who were "raved" to about the movie figured the Ravers knew what they were talking about even though they couldn't understand anything either. Hence a nomination. And, there you have it.
I found the movie much too long. The war scenes went on forever. In fact I think they are still going on. This could have been a more satisfying movie if the idle chatter in the beginning among the idle rich and the war scenes were drastically cut back. They didn't need to be that long. Give the audience some credit to get the point. This isn't advertising where repetition rules the day.
The acting was good, and the cinematography was excellent.
I must say that the twist at the end was excellent and powerful and no one saw it coming. In fact, the twist was so powerful I am at odds whether or not the character who gave us the twist did the right thing. Did the twist atone for all that went on before? You must decide. I am at odds with it. But, without that twist, there would be no Oscar nomination, I am sure.
(Okay, Bob, so you admit the story had merit and that it wasn't only nominated because no one could understand the dialogue?) (--Yes, I admit it but it was still too long.)
Violence: Yes Nudity: Yes Sex: Yes Language: Yes