Very good... yet stale.

Rating: 6/10 (6 January 2006)

Allen's latest offering resembles a celluloid operatic tragedy - the point of which is very poignant; luck is a major player in all things, and the good/bad people involved do not always get what they deserve. Unfortunately, despite a capable cast and director, the execution was somewhat sloppy.
The setup, although necessary, seemed overly long and stale; no doubt due to the flat, wooden dialogue that was spoken and made all the more unemotional by having our characters appear 'oh so very classically British' with their 'stiff upper lip' and what not, (although their class was pivotal to the plot). The way the dialogue was delivered, especially by 'Chris Wilton', was straight and obviously scripted - it was as if the characters were reading directly from a script.
Things do get better in the last half-hour or so; tempers fray, emotions build and climax, and the ending is very clever indeed. This film is definitely worth going to watch, it will stay with you long after you leave the cinema, yet it is slightly flawed.