There are people who thought this was a good movie?

Rating: 1/10 (29 June 2004)

A dreadful movie experience. If you like movies where no one is at all likable and the story is depressing and has an unsatisfying ending, then this is the movie for you. One has to wonder what people saw in it.
The story is ostensibly about a hunt for a murderer. The past is weaved into the story, leading to all kinds of blind alleys and an attempt to lead the audience to draw the wrong conclusion. This might have worked except that the attempt was too obvious, sort of telling us that the director (Eastwood) has little respect for our intelligence. Then to find out the whole murder was just happenstance and all of the past that is introduced is actually irrelevant is annoying. .
We are supposed to buy the premise of the movie that once you are traumatized you are a hopeless case and unworthy of respect, dignity, or even life. It is kinder to just be put out of your misery. Sort of like shooting a lame horse.
If all of this sounds like fun to you, then rent this movie and ENJOY!

(But, just to show that I'm being fair, I will say that Eastwood's score is great. It would have been better in another movie, but it was still great.)