What a pity...

Rating: 6/10 (24 December 2002)

A really disconcerting sight... This film has all the makings of the great cinematic masterpiece of the order of "The Last Temptation of Christ". Camera work is outstanding, sets are mind-blowing, historical settings and general features of the storyline are worthy of a Shakespearian tragedy. And... it never happens! Pieces of the story never come together in a unified vision, its slow-paced parts come just as boring interludes, not as natural developments towards climactic explosions. The Civil War and the New York rebellion in the background become a completely disconnected plotline. Yes, it's kind of supposed to be like that: protagonists are apolitical etc., but the final interaction of the two lines seems contrived. Cast... Cameron Diaz is probably miscast anyway. DiCaprio... well, I am still not quite sure if he's a real actor, but I can live with it. If only the film was cut differently, if only the story did not acquire some soapy tinge, if... if... if...