Compelling, but boring..

Rating: 5/10 (1 March 2005)

This movie is good enough to keep your attention through the whole thing, but ultimately I found it boring and unsatisfying. Sean Penn did a good job portraying his role, but the role itself wasn't necessarily compelling or believable. Sure a man in his situation would be devastated, but it still seems a bit over the top. Laurence Fishburne did a great job in this, as did Tim Robbins. Tim's character I didn't find very believable, however, and I can't understand why he and Sean Penn both picked up Oscars for this. A lot of what this movie does right, however, is keep it interesting enough to see the end. Unfortunately, that end is somewhat confusing, and left me feeling unfulfilled. Worth catching on cable or renting for cheap, but I just don't think it lives up to the hype.