Devoid of any original thought

Rating: 2/10 (9 October 2003)

I was very excited to see this film. When the old-fashioned black and white WB logo came on, I nearly p***ed myself with excitement. 2 hours and 15 minutes later I was still waiting for something to happen. Some kind of original moment. Maybe an iconic picture. A striking costume choice. But nothing happened.
All the actors gave stellar performances considering the script gave them almost nothing. This was especially disappointing because I thought Brian Hegeland did the impossible when he adapted L.A. CONFIDENTIAL into a film. On this outing with Eastwood, their attempt at film noir was sluggish and pathetically laughable. All the imagery was stilted.
Despite spasms of emotion and violence, the film kept the same painfully monotonous pace. The music was sappy. The shots were generic with the exception of the use of dissolves. And this is going to sound completely irreverent and it's meant to make a point: The film felt like it was directed by an old guy who has never seen or appreciated a music video.