It's Got The Goods

Rating: Null/10 (21 March 2001)

Upon entering the theater I was a little unsure of what to expect. I had been thoroughly impressed by the trailer which usually indicates a film lacking but from the first frame I was drawn in and captivated by Jean-Jacques Annaud's stark grays and cold wintry setting.
But the film instantly bursts alive when Jude Law enters the screen in a scene reminiscent of "Saving Private Ryan." Now granted, I think it does a disservice to compare this film to 'Ryan. Except for a muted-gray palette and the opening assault the films are quite different. It is the smaller story within the chaos that truly makes this film worthy.
A love story between Law and an arresting dark beauty named Rachel Weisz gives the film a heartbeat. And the jealously of a political officer played by the excellent Joseph Fiennes whose spin has propelled naive farmboy Law to fame allows the viewer access to the characters. It is the media-savvy Fiennes who turns the boy into a serialized hero, almost out of the dime store novels of the old west.
But for me it is the incomparable Ed Harris that seals the deal. I'll bet that his character, all together, didn't even have ten pages of dialogue but it's the eyes that hold you. Those steel blue eyes fit perfectly into the cold and patient world of the sniper, marked with violence that is immediate and raw. The perfectly cut uniform, the stern features and the dignity with which he always carries himself puts this man in an elite category.
This is a true actor's movie, accented by a set of flawless performances that in itself is worth the price of admission. Forget about the fact that you wind up rooting for Communists. Forget the politics which were wisely paired down. It is the chess game between the old man and the new blood. No wasted moments. No posing and overstuffed one-liners. Just quiet craftsmanship that does the talent of the actors justice.
This is one that is worth a look.