A poor beginning ruins a pretty good end.

Rating: 2/10 (11 January 2008)

I felt compelled to write a review of this movie, due its critical acclaim and raving reviews. I disliked this movie in many ways, not one of which was the ending. The ending, I felt, was satisfying, even beautiful in its own way. What bothered me was the beginning. I don't hate slow movies, but I often felt this movie needed to have a little nudge and an "okay, get on with it." Besides the first hour being slow, it left a horrible distaste in my mouth. All it delivered was a typical smut story wrapped up in an elegant package; a story that replaces love with lust and hopes it tricks the audience into believing it's amore. When I saw the vulgar letter I was shocked, surely a man would not write such things about a woman he loved. I saw her reaction and was absolutely disgusted. (I hate the word, and believe me, I don't hold back on expletives). I'm no prude, love scenes can be beautiful if the love story makes sense, but this love scene was intensely awkward and unemotional. Sure they say "I Love You" right before they start, but that did little to appease the situation. Then it lasted for about thirty seconds too long, making me want to return the popcorn I'd eaten back into the bag. It's not that it was grotesque; They didn't show nudity, or thrusting for that matter. It was the situation that kept this from working. While this was clearly supposed to be more, it came off as a mere 'hook-up' in a fashion many porno movies have taken: rich girl gets gardener/pool boy after gardener says something dirty. Love? I think not. You can't just have it in the script "They are deeply in love." This has to be shown. And the movie does show it, it just comes later on. But the first instance of their relationship looks so loveless and trite that it's hard to accept it after the fact.
The second half had some redeeming qualities, and the cinematography was spectacular, though Keira Knightley needs to put on about fifteen pounds lest her bones break through her skin. If one forgets the first half and just starts the story where two young lovers are separated and neglects their the awkward beginning, it helps, but that's hard to do. The story of Brioney, the aspiring author who sees the dangerous mistakes she made, is a nice one, and her attempt at redeeming herself is admirable and moving. But it all gets to the root of the love story, which didn't convince me of love at all, turning what could have been a good movie into an overrated lust story that tried to make up for itself a little too late.