A flawed, yet brilliant, diamond

Rating: 7/10 (20 March 2007)

This is a movie I believe you should see. Just don't expect perfection because it isn't there.
First, let's discuss DiCaprio and whether the Academy was right in nominating him for this performance rather than for THE DEPARTED. I have to go with this one, and that isn't at all diminishing his other great performance. There simply were more scenes which he commanded here, and IMHO some scenes definitely eclipsed those in the other film. His character here seemed to me to be even more conflicted than his Billy Costigan character, and especially towards the end, you had to depend on minute nuances to tell what his character was actually doing.
Then, there's Djimon Hounsou who again deserved his nomination. He exuded braveness, family concern, varying emotions in regards to DiCaprio's character.
However, the above and the power of the message of the film just about sums up my feeling you should see it.
Pacing between violent and non-violent scenes failed and some scenes, powerful as they were, drug out for too long. The scenes after the mountainside scene were too long and possibly even unnecessary although they gave the viewer some satisfaction and a conclusion to all elements with which we were concerned.
This is still a movie to see.