superb

Rating: Null/10 (30 December 2003)

Excellent film which cracks a real emotional punch without dissolving into sentimentality. The real standout performances come from the supporting cast. Zelleweger goes from strength to strength (after introducing herself to the story by chopping a roosters head off), giving the movie some much needed humour and brimming with charisma. Also Natalie Portman gave a heart rendering performance as a grief wracked widow and mother,showing that there is MUCH more to her than wooden Queen Amidala impressions and fulfiling the early promise shown in Leon. The story keeps moving at a decent pace whilst managing to develop the key relationships and characters so we actually care about what happens at the end and feel a sense of loss at the films conclusion. Will win Oscars for sure although whether or not it will deserve to when measured against ROTK and Lost In Translation is another question.