A little heavy handed

Rating: Null/10 (27 October 2016)

Clint Eastwood has produced some brilliant work as a director. Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby come to mind.
But, as with Flags of Our Fathers, he here demonstrates a penchant for going over the top.
There were times I felt like I was watching a dystopian commentary on systemic corruption at the hands of the new world order rather than a period piece revolving around a humanly dramatic mystery.
Much of the acting is equally excessive as Clint lingers to jab a knife into our hearts in a way that is meant to be grueling but is surprisingly shallow.
Such are the consequences of the risks inherent in going deep with dramatic material. The effort is compelling even if the result is lacking in grace.
Part of the problem is the complexity of the material, which seems to drift between two different story lines, both of which are given equal weight even though they are barely related, as if one is meant to throw us off the trail of the other - which results in cheaply woven mystery and a plot that loses its way.