Mixture of ugly and beautiful

Rating: 7/10 (4 January 2004)

It was a mixture of very ugly and very beautiful. The brutality was so disgusting, it was difficult to watch (at one point I wanted to walk out). Some scenery and certain scenes were beautiful. Mingella was successful in showing symbolism, hypocrisy, imorality, kindness, cruelty and reality. At times too long and boring though. Nicole Kidman looked too beautiful throughout the movie (even in scenes where she is suppose to be ragged working the fields and going through extreme hardships). I always thought she was attractive but never looked so good as in this movie. It was the only unrealistic thing, almost a distraction (fault of Mingella). This part did not give Nicole a chance to show a lot of range as she was this composed, proper lady. Jude was very good but Renee I loved (she was funny and not attractive at all).