Could have been better but worth seeing

Rating: Null/10 (29 May 2004)

I love Brad Pitt in many films like 12 Monkeys and Fight Club, but here he is not in his best form. His accent is just lousy and really unnecessary - in fact, I believe it hindered his performance which should have been much better than what was delivered. He is a particularly intelligent actor relishing obscure roles, but this role either did not require enough strangeness for him to really shine, or he just couldn't deliver the nuances of the changes in his character at that time.
The movie is beautiful in and of itself, although overly long and tedious. While pretty to look at, it offered very little emotionally. It basically told the story of the Tibetans, albeit through Pitt's character's eyes, but it did concentrate, and that unabashedly, on Pitt's character's transformation. That said, I definitely could identify with the character, and felt enlightened and encouraged by the transformation itself.
Without a doubt, the actors portraying the Dalai Lama stood out and were absolutely believable. Great casting for that role. I would give this movie a 6.5 because the film lacked the power and impact that this kind of film could have had, but it is important enough to see, especially for foreign relations neophytes.