Now multiply that by infinity and take it to the depth of forever

Rating: 8/10 (7 February 2002)

So much has been said about the length of this film and in my opinion without real need. The film works well being three hours long and gives a true sense of time in relation to the film itself. The plot isn't important, but this seems to have been lost within the plot driven minds of many. Characterisation is always the most vital key in films such as this. And this abounds. The performance of Anthony Hopkins is good but not awe inspiring but then again it doesn't need to be.It isn't his film. But he does portray the business mogul with a heart well and feels genuine. I bet most would like to wake up one morning and realise they 'want nothing more'. His relationship with his daughters is interesting as it shows that it is enough to know that you are loved. Clire Forlani is breathtaking. Not perhaps her acting at all points (esp. when she utters "I feel like we're taking off") but her look, timing and body language fits the role perfectly. But who is important is Brad Pitt. I was never a Pitt fan but gradually was turned with his roles in Twelve Monkeys and the Devil's Own (didn't think much to se7en) yet this was the first point I realised the guy can really act! Other comments have described him as 'dull' or 'rigid' but they are missing the point. The character in the coffee shop is engaging and perhaps the one everybody would have liked to see throughout but Death is where he comes alive!The best way to describe his portrayl would be as a cross between a blind person who has just gained their sight and is intriged and enchanted by everything around them and the look of interested bewilderment which young children have when seeing, say, the circus for the first time. This seems to fit beautifully into the film, ad feels right. The character is endeering through a childlike innocence yet partnered well with a hidden undercurrent of darkness.Pitt has the ability to command the scene over the seemingly more powerful Hopkins.Some have said that Forlani wouldn't fall for the 'stony Pitt' but stony isn't the right expression. He is repressed (not in a bad way) and it is this which makes him mysterious and ultimately captivating as an individual. He hides such yet is completey open,sometimes embrassingly so as he requsts peanut butter instead of a gourmet meal.The inner child rules all. Brad Pitt leapt in my estimation and I now look forward to seeing him on the screen.
If all this wasn't enough, the cinematography is unbelievable. The framing and spacing combined with the film's richness of apearance is wonderful. The ending, as he stands on the bridge, is one of the most beautiful scenes in cinema I can remember. The score also contributes immensly. It is soulful yet maintains the underlying hint of darkness.The orchestal arrangemnet of 'What a wonderful world' should be cheesy and over the top but somehow it works.
My only complaint in an otherwise beautiful film is the ending. I almost wish that Hollywood didn't exist or the film was british so that we wouldn't have to have the token 'happy Hollywood' ending. Though this is a minor point. Watch this film for a number of reasons. 1.Brad Pitt and 2. this is how a film should look!!