Tedious, predictable...

Rating: 4/10 (28 March 2001)

A rather average film, rendering dull quite an eventful historical context, with a rather typical modern Hollywood disregard for character, intrigue and nuance. The acting is largely mediocre, and even the best on show, Ed Harris, cannot rise above an insubstantial script. The question of laughably inaccurate accents isn't as important as the general lack of interesting dialogue and (its) delivery. Law and Fiennes show little acting flair, portraying uninteresting ciphers accordingly. Rachel Weisz adds little to a tenuous, tediously inevitable love interest. Bob Hoskins, oddly cast as Kruschchev, is ok, but has too small a part. The filming of the few battle scenes and sniper "duels" is passable, but far from innovative, or, truly, exciting. The music is horribly bland and formulaic, inducing from me not emotion, but ample yawning. There are historical errors, but worse is the lack of interesting characterisation in the slightest, and the avoidance of theme or insight. Rating:- **/*****