A good piece of drama.

Rating: 9/10 (24 May 2009)

A good drama beautifully presented by Mr. Eastwood. The movie ponders on the total randomness of life, and shows that nothing is really forgotten no matter how hard we try or pretend. In my opinion, Sean Penn's performance was mediocre and very artificial. Actually, I think he didn't deserve the Oscar he grabbed! The real hero of this movie was Tim Robbins; such a complicated character and such an amazing performance! Boyle is a vivid example of a man motivated by fear and living in his own world of dreams; all because of a horrible tragedy he has been subjected to as a child. This tragedy plays the role of the ghost that haunts the characters throughout their lives. Some are haunted by fear, others by guilt and deception. Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden did a wonderful job, but I think their characters needed more elaboration to justify their deeds. As for Kevin Bacon, he simply had what it takes!