Could have been....

Rating: 5/10 (31 March 2014)

I understand the hate and love about this movie.
Here are the pros and cons :

story from a book so brilliant scenario - good casting - good effects and visuals - kind of unique - swapping between time frame is just genius. But the connections in between them is taking too long to be explained. They should have dripped the information by making a thesis and demonstrate something throughout the movie. Basically, when the coming out of the movie is finally disclosed it sounds too small.

But

These different accents and languages... As you notice i'm not English native and swapping from American to British to undefined accents, Spanish and made up languages in a movie which is willingly built to be complicated is way too confusing.

I didn't even mention the whispering by a Japanese accent on key moments nor the alien- like font for date and locations....

we see a trend from successful movies (complicated = success). This is an art and here it hasn't been reached here. It is easy to give up as the movie doesn't raise wonders nor the eager will to crack the movie ( inception did, matrix did not this one)

you don't get attached to characters at all. No defined personality and it creates a big flaw. Whether they die or live, fall in love or not, you just don't give a darn about it. I believe this was the key. A depth in the characters would have made it worth the 3 hours. I mean this one is a savage, this one a slave,a reporter, a lawyer or a publisher doesn't cut it.

too long for the content. 3 hours is very delicate as a movie duration.

To conclude, i'll watch it again with subtitles and after reading the book. It raised my interest and it remained pleasant to watch. I do regret that they didn't go further on the intellectual part. They are touching sensitive subjects and it could have been a master piece only if it raised some questions.(slavery, WWII, human condition..)
5/10 because of the casting and based on a book with a detailed scenario hence it isn't a deja vu..