A curious case of intense boredom.

Rating: Null/10 (8 February 2009)

Wow, I haven't put a review up here for quite some time and I won't even really bother here or with any other movie since this website is now so obviously been overwhelmed by dime a dozen bloggers on studio payrolls. I had noticed it before but just read the first three reviews here and besides the fact that they're almost identical reviews, they're so over the top obsequious that its beyond the point where IMDb can no longer avoid commenting on it.
Magical? Best performances of the year? BS. Without going into any detail just know that any friend or talk show host or newspaper reviewer you've heard say 'the film is boring' is absolutely correct. Its a 2 hr and 45 minute movie that feels like its 5 hours. You just want the thing to end or the old woman to just croak early in her deathbed at the hospital. The voice-over narration makes the boredom that much more grating. If I wanted the audio book I would have bought it - ACT Brad and Cate, don't TELL me the damn movie as I'm watching it. Give us a taste of voice-over to settle us into the movie, don't beat is into submission with it for three hours.
This concept was based on a short story and the writer didn't add anything to it to make it worthy of a three hour movie! I can't lay all the blame on the writer. He didn't green light this picture and it wasn't a spec script. Obviously the producers, Brad being one of them, became enamoured of the idea and rammed the thing thru rewrites thinking that seeing Brad in incredible makeup using his best, scratchy nostalgic voice would trick people into thinking they're seeing a great movie. Sorry Brad, didn't work in The Assassination of Jesse James and it didn't work here. Do yourself a favour and work with a director who's making a movie from an original script and let him mould you into his vision - don't force a vision on someone else.
This film is weak and uninspired. The only reason it got a nomination for best picture is because the Academy feels obligated to nominate at least one huge budget, huge actor movie or even less people would watch their crummy awards show again this year.
Stay away from this one, rent it one night when you're having trouble sleeping.