lacklustre

Rating: 3/10 (24 September 2009)

gosh what an awful film, really disappointing. no panache, no charisma, no genuine feeling of magic, just dull dull dull. i had just watched edward norton in the superlative "the painted veil" so i was expecting far far better than this. the script was absolutely dire with some of the most banal mediocre clichéd utterly lacklustre dialogue known to man and the acting is so drab all round that nothing can lift it. what is missing? it is not understated, it is just incredibly boring and irritating. and duh - eisenheim is told by his manager that the crown prince is a bit of a wife-beater, and sophie herself tells him that if they ran away together the crown prince would hunt them down and kill them - so what does she do? play along with him to his face & run away in secret? oh no dearie me no, she has a bit of a row with him and tells him exactly what she thinks of him and what she is planning to do. and then no doubt is a trifle surprised to find herself dead on the back of a horse (which isn't credible even taking into account the ridiculous denouement. The problem with this sort of magic is that it is so downright unbelievable so who gives a damn about any of the cardboard characters). everything about this film is second rate, even the lovely edward norton sent me to sleep - he manages to imbue his character with no charisma, no mystery, nothing - just mumbles his way apologetically through the whole film . ignore all the rubbish people write about this film, it is cr*p. oh yes and all that candlelight effect is so tedious.