Poor, boring, stolid, overrated

Rating: 1/10 (16 January 2001)

This might surprise a lot of you, but personally I believe that this film is a very boring and slow-paced attempt to bring foreign cinema into the mainstream. I saw this film about two months ago, and all I hear from critics, is that if its not the best foreign language film of all time its perhaps the best film of the year. So its a foregone conclusion that it'll sweep the boards at the Oscars but thats not exactly news. I mean look Titanic did it, another film which is grossly overrated and boring, but thats another story.
I have seen many foreign language films, as part of my degree I have to, but in general I am a very big fan. This just didn't do anything for me. A whole load of pretentious tripe if you ask me. This is probably why critics can't get enough, their to frightened to give their real opinion because if they don't lick up to films such as these they will become ostracized and lose their credit as 'good' critics.
Seriously to be avoided.