tiresome

Rating: 3/10 (25 March 2006)

It seems it's been done before and better. Some very talented work here, but the sum is far less than the parts. The very talented Morgan Freeman is made to drone on in narrative, much like in the Shawshank Redemption (where it had greater effect), but is hampered by poorer writing. Hilary Swank is also very talented, but also has to muscle past mediocre (at best) writing. How Clint Eastwood has sustained a career is a testament to "it's not what you know but who you know". This is the Hollywood Complex cranking up the mood lighting and calling it "art". But I suppose I should be thankful that it didn't contain a load of shaky camera work or jittery editing in the fight scenes. Maybe it can be recommended on that little bit of artistic backbone. It seems lately that any movie portraying action is out to induce a maximum of epileptic fits.