Almost Great

Rating: 8/10 (10 February 2008)

By all accounts, including mine, this is a beautiful movie. The astonishing attention to period detail, the beautiful cinematography, and the great panoramic embracing of the chaos of war make it a joy to watch. The acting is almost without exception perfect in all characters. Completely believable and without undue affectation.
Why not 10 stars instead of 8? This good movie suffers from a pacing that is sometimes too slow, and some initially confusing time shifts; where a key scene is played over from another perspective, we are unsure if Knightley is jumping into the (incredibly deep) fountain for a 2nd time, or the scene is being replayed. It is clarified quickly, but blows ones concentration on the plot. That's one star deducted.
And then there is the cadaverous Keira Knightly, who looks just terrible, like a victim of several famines. Her performance is fair, but she has all the sex appeal of a white stick, and thus makes it difficult to sympathize with her character, or even mildly understand McAvoy's desire for her. Another star deducted.
All in all a very worthwhile production and an enjoyable two hours.