not oscar worthy

Rating: Null/10 (24 January 2004)

Personally, I was not impressed with this film. Yes, it was beautifully filmed, filled with symbolism and parallels, and the script was very well adapted to the screen. Also, the acting was good.. particularly the dramatic Sean Penn crying scene, and Tim Robbins' silent sympathetic acting. But I just feel that critics are in love with Clint Eastwood and therefore give him too much credit. What was the point of the film?? I for one haven't read the book so maybe I should do that before asking this, but what was the underlying message of the movie---that good guys always lose and that in lower middle class neighborhoods in Boston the ex-cons rule the town while secretly offing the people that get in their way? Sure, it may show the corruptness and multi-layeredness (if that's a word) of the world, but I don't think that it had a really understandable POINT. Those people had no value system--no morals! Maybe I'm just missing the message but I just don't think this film deserves an oscar or golden globe nod at all. Get over Clint Eastwood, he's not that fabulous a director.. sure Bridges of Madison County was all right.. but he made Space Cowboys, for crying out loud.