They may not have the luxury of time, but the schmaltz is flowing a-plenty...

Rating: 5/10 (18 March 2001)

Oy! Spare me another Hollywood ending--I wanted to hurl when I left the theater. I won't give it away here, though.
The only thing that kept this movie from sinking beneath the weight of all that schmaltz and expository dialogue (just in case we couldn't follow the action) was the performance of Jude Law as the Russian sniper. Law is a chamelonic actor whose performances in films as diverse as "Talented Mr. Ripley," "eXistenZ," "Wilde," etc., have been consistently excellent.

The other bright point in the film was the brief appearance of Ron Perlman as a fellow sharpshooter who is sent to help Vassily (Law). Perlman is always worth watching and isn't afraid to exploit his unusual looks. (Catch him in "Island of Dr. Moreau,"--an otherwise dreadful film--"Name of the Rose,"--an OK movie--and the very odd, visually riveting "City of Lost Children." And, oh yeah--does anyone remember the TV series "Beauty and the Beast"? Guess which part Perlman played...)
I suppose the reason they put in the love triangle was to capture the female demographic. As a female myself, I say "Shame on you, Jean-Jacques!" (Annaud--the writer and director.) Don't you think us women can't enjoy a straight war drama if it's done well?! Puh-leeze....
Anyway, I was vindicated. I only went to this movie because my boyfriend wanted to see it. I had a good idea before I set foot in the theater that it wasn't going to bowl me over, but once the film rolled, and a voiceover came on to set us up, I knew we were doomed...
Told ya so, sweetie!