Very inconsistent

Rating: 7/10 (13 February 2005)

This may have been the most inconsistent movie I have ever watched. The first 2/3rd of the film is really not that good. Not that much happens with the characters and the story develops very slowly. It seems the director is much too preoccupied with the esthetic's of the movie. It's as if an MTV music video director has gone off. The soundtrack and visuals are actually pretty annoying. They keep showing the same clips over and over. I almost stopped watching the movie.
I am glad I didn't. Because the last 1/3rd of the movie is amazing!!! It's like the director sobered up and decided to moved things forward. Maybe his heroin fix wore off. With that it feels a bit like a Scorsese crescendo a la Casino and Goodfellas when things start to happen dramatically and a frenetic pace. And you start to care about, and feel the pain of the characters. The soundtrack is haunting, as is the end. All the acting is terrific, with Jennifer Connelly the star. It feels like two different movies, and two different directors. I would rate the last third a 9, but overall no more than a 7, due to the first 2/3rd.