It could have been more than it was

Rating: 5/10 (17 November 2012)

I wanted to like this movie more than I did. I'm normally a sucker for these kind of historical romantic fantasies. But I think it had several problems. Much of it might be due to the use of music. The score seemed 1) Kind of dated (could be because another reviewer said it was a shameless copy of Manon Lescaut by Puccini) but it just didn't have a contemporary feel to the mood it tried to set ... like something Williams or Silvestri would have composed. And 2) It was ubiquitous! Every time the kid picked his nose, the "hero" music would start up. It was just WAY over used. It started feeling like an old Cecil B. DeMille technicolor "over the top" epic where the color is TOO rich and the music TOO inspiring.
Lefler might've done well to remember that sometimes "less is more."
The plot was a little formulaic as well with it's cast of characters. The love story subplot seemed forced to me. I didn't get ANY chemistry from the two. Mira had more outfit changes than Lady Gaga at the Oscars. And the storyline could have been told with a little more mystery in it's pacing perhaps .... but that damn "hero's score" swelling to a crescendo every 90 seconds just ruined it for me.
All in all, it's watchable and a fun rollick ... but it's not the epic it could have been with a few changes. Perhaps even with just a change in the music.