Good.... but confusing

Rating: Null/10 (29 August 2003)

I just watched the DVD special edition last nite, and was amazed by this movie in many ways. The cinematography was sublime. I loved the way this movie was shot - the detail of the scenes shot in the train station, and at the dinner between De Niro & Elizabeth McGovern. Really harks back to the way movies used to be filmed, á la casablanca etc. But it just had an incredible look to it. The score, for the most part, worked, as did the cast. (Not a big James Woods fan Im afraid)
Where my problem lies is with the plot. Many parts made little to no sense, such that on first viewing a lot of questions were left open to the viewer. Not about the morality or point the film was trying to make. Just purely about what on earth was going on! (perhaps a 2nd or 3rd viewing will clear up a lot). And a lot of the characters I thought were badly written, under utilised or just completely unbelievable. A similar criticism can be said for the dialogue.
Having said that, there's a lot of moments that just work in this film, regardless, and I suppose a lot of that is down to the Director. I can see myself watching the film a number of times again and hopefully enjoying it more each time!
7.5/10