So Near, And Yet So Far...

Rating: 6/10 (20 October 2002)

Only Russell Crowe's truly ghastly performance prevents this movie from being a genuine classic. Why must Hollywood voluntarily afflict itself with such idiotic casting decisions? America has more aspiring actors than most other nations have citizens, yet she continues to utilize foreign actors in roles wholly unsuited to their abilities. It is the modern equivalent of Black Face.
To see the rare dynamism displayed here by Pacino being absorbed by the sodden lump of old lard that is Crowe's embarrassing performance is nothing short of tragic. My Latvian third cousin could have nailed the accent better than Crowe has.
This movie is good - even great - but it's not a classic, and the fault is entirely Russell Crowe's, and somebody's brain-dead idea of a novel marketing gimmick.