Overrated

Rating: 6/10 (17 April 2008)

The acting is OK. Anthony Hopkins is brilliant (which goes without saying), Aidan Quinn is good, and Brad Pitt is Brad Pitt. The supporting actors are good enough to keep the illusion of reality up.
The music is what you would expect from a movie like this: loud and gushy. James Horner has never been one of my favorite composers. With a few exceptions, his scores don't differ much from each other.
The cinematography is pretty nice. Bright colors, nice contrasts, very pleasing to the eye. Good costumes, props, all that jazz.
My biggest qualm with this movie is the story, which is colossally convoluted. It jumps from event to event without much purpose other than to make the audience cry. Plus, I don't have much patience for movies centered around love triangles. They should add tension to the plot, not BE it.
I gave this movie six stars because of how it looks. A lot of time and money obviously went into it and that I can appreciate. But every other aspect of the film is shamelessly narcissistic, trying as hard as it can to be a classic.