Yes it's great, but flawed

Rating: Null/10 (17 February 2004)

Yes, I will concede that this movie features me of the best acting ever put on film. And Eastwood is a highly competent director. But allow me to point out the negatives ...
The plotline hangs on a highly improbable coincidence. Not only improbable, but not particularly convoluted or twisted -- or one that the audience has any clues to be able to figure out. I realized soon enough that what is "obviously true" wouldn't be true here -- that wouldn't be much of a movie. But the actual plot solution is not nearly as complicated as one might imagine, or hope. Sorry, I don't want to get too specific, so as not to spoil it for anyone.
Secondly, Eastwood is a competent director, but not particularly interesting, really. A few of his tendencies are starting to become cliches for him -- the overhead helicopter shots, the camera panning to the sky when we see the dead girl, the way he hits us over the head with flashbacks (just in case we are too stupid to remember them) -- I feel like I saw it all in A PERFECT WORLD, which is, for my money, a better film.