Don't bother

Rating: 2/10 (11 January 2009)

At nearly 3 hours, this is one long and, unfortunately, boring movie. The problem isn't so much the main story arc - it's the seemingly endless disconnected and meaningless story lines scattered throughout the film.
Let's start with the structure of the film. It copies directly from The Titanic. So we have a dying old woman who shares her memories of her lover with her daughter. And just like in Titanic, she dies and the daughter finds out who her father really is. Boring, been there, done it before.
Then there's nearly 30 minutes devoted to a character who does't propel the storyline along. Benjamin has an affair in a Russian hotel with a woman married to a British spy. This story acr had no consequence to the main storyline of the film. Why was it included? Why was she married to a British spy? Why does she up and leave him? He doesn't even seem to care, and neither did I.
Then there is the hummingbird. The hummingbird is related to the death of Benjamin's captain and appears when the captain dies. It later appears when Daisy dies. Why? What does the hummingbird have to do with Daisy? Then there are the countless other characters who we are told are significant on Benjamin's life by the voice-over but then have no corresponding storyline. Most annoying was the woman with the dog. The dog appeared to be given great significance when it appears - but then disappears without consequence. Same as Benjamin's sister. Same with the clock maker. These vignettes padded the movie to distraction.
And then there's the old man who was hit by lightning 7 times. The first 3 flashbacks are funny, and from then on, it's like groan - what does this character have to do with anything?
Brad's performance is good. It's probably his best role - but let's face it, he's not really an actor's actor. Cate is her luminous best and as always absolutely steals the show. Daisy is the most enigmatic and interesting character. It's her story, rather than Benjamin's that is of most interest. Had the film been edited much more heavily and concentrated on the Benjamin / Daisy story, it could have been an amazing film.
It's beautifully shot, great score, great effects, some good performances - but watching this film is like listening to a story told by someone who continually goes off track. In the end, you just want them to stop talking and you no longer care what happens.
If you liked Titanic - you'll probably like this film. It has all the hokey plot devices and narration, and it's too long with too many characters. As with the Titanic, a great story is sacrificed by lack of editing. And you know it's bad when the audience leaves the theatre too bored to talk about the movie they just saw.