Flawed but well-made

Rating: 8/10 (22 February 2007)

Very daring flick that gets points for attempting something new, even if it ultimately drags on for too long. It's well-made, but I felt no real connection to these characters, and felt that they weren't really developed effectively. The acting was good, but I felt Gyllenhaal was better than Ledger, who just seemed to mumble a lot, and I found Williams and especially Hathaway surprisingly good in supporting roles. The story never really gets going, and seems fit to meander along until the climax, which doesn't take on the importance it should because the characters aren't built up enough. Still, the film is nice to look at, with sweeping cinematography of the Canadian Rockies (filmed in my province!) and well-shot scenes. The music bothered me to no end, though. So, a flawed but well-made film.