Pedestrian story lifted by the great acting

Rating: Null/10 (22 December 2003)

This film has been something of a victim of heightened expectations for me, which were hard to beat down considering how much acclaim it got. The best thing about it is undoubtedly the all-around stellar performances of the fantastic cast, Tim Robbins and Sean Penn especially. The female characters are somewhat underwritten, and this lack of refinement results in the film's most jarring scene where Laura Linney's character suddenly gives a Lady MacBeth speech out of a blue. Nevertheless, she and Marcia Gay Harden still manage to leave an impression. As for the story itself, it's something of a mixed bag, with intense, gut-wrenching scenes mixed with way too many coincidences and subplots that feel tacked on, such as the one about Kevin Bacon's relationship with his wife. Overall, good not great film.