I can't jump on either side. I just think it's a nice movie.

Rating: 6/10 (9 November 2008)

It's a nice movie. That's all i can say it was for me.
I see two kinds of reviewers here. One side sees this movie as a masterpiece, the other side expected a masterpiece and got underwhelmed. I seem to stand somewhere in between...
The performance of the actors is astonishing. Winslet is great, but that's no surprise. Carey on the other hand was blowing me away with his subtle approach... i did not see that coming from a guy that was "the mask".
It is sure a beautiful movie, but i think a part of the attraction to it is that it is not a typical Hollywood movie. It is free from any romantic clichés that usually get served to us when two famous actors play the "fall in love"-thing. The movie unfolds mixing a Hollywood-unknown realism with a Hollywood-unknown surrealism. It's like having a joint: if you expect to be blown away, then nothing will happen. But if you relax and let it get to you, then you might enjoy it.
Still: The movie obviously hasn't had the same effect that it had on most other people. It reminded me a little to my first relationship (with a different ending). But maybe that's what it's supposed to be. A sorta teenage-style "first love" story told with mid-30ies people. It feels like a nostalgic picture of my idea of love when i was about 16, but stuffed with people of my age, so i can easier relate. To me that just doesn't feel honest. I did not think i'd ever say that, but i feel pretty grown up after watching this.
Pretty much everybody in one way or the other doesn't want to grow up. If love is the thing where you don't want to mature in (or just how it was when you weren't), then take a look at this one. I couldn't get the hang of the naivety of the protagonists.