Good first half, mediocre second half

Rating: 6/10 (18 March 2005)

Stanley Kubrick's filming of Barry Lyndon has the same problem as another of his films, Full Metal Jacket. The first half of this movie, with Barry conning his way through high society, is good. It is enjoyable to see Barry go from a poor boy in Ireland to marrying a woman with a title. Unfortunately, the film falls apart in its second half. Barry has become selfish and self absorbed. It is as if he were an entirely different person. It doesn't help that his primary foe is his equally selfish stepson. Since neither of these characters is very likable, my emotional involvement in this movie waned. Since this movie is one of those historical epics, we know what happens well before it occurs. That takes away the enjoyment of the movie, especially since the movie's ending is such a downer that you expect. This gets a 6/10 for this mixed bag of a movie.