A bit over-sincere, but well done

Rating: 5/10 (29 June 2006)

I didn't really think of the film as anything exceptional, neither exceptionally bad nor good. The production was excellent, all the actors including even the children were top notch. I think the story kind of simplified some things that should have been left more up in the air, for example Julie Christie's mom character was too evil and one dimensional in the early parts of the film and then her transformation was handled much too quickly to be convincing that she actually came to like Barre in any way. Even more so with the author's wife, who fluttered about on the periphery of the film never really being given any meaty scenes, and then brought back for closure reasons in the middle of the finale. She barely even qualified as 2 dimensional though I would blame it on the script and not the actress. I thought the scenes with Depp and Winslet were well done, just restrained enough to be realistic to the time period but also to convey their mutual feelings that go beyond respect or just affection.
I got the feeling that if this had been a film about one of my favorite writers, I would have loved it. It was very much a tribute -- I can't even remember ever seeing Depp play such a "good guy". Maybe that was part of the problem, I don't know. In the end it was nothing special for me.