Opportunities seized and missed

Rating: 8/10 (23 January 2006)

I knew right away from the trailer that I wanted to see this movie. And the photography and soundtrack (other than the spoken dialog) did not disappoint - they are truly superb. The visuals/aurals of nature are particularly good. The overall effect is stunning. But... I have quite a few quibbles. The dialog, when there is any, is often maddeningly incoherent. The characters seem to be sharing their secrets with just the people in the front row. The continuity is at times strangely non-sequitous. Whether this is intentional or just poor editing I cannot tell. Horner's music is good though there is insufficient original material to get truly excited by it. The inclusion of the Adagio from Mozart's 23rd Piano Concerto is sublime. Even there, though, the timing relative to the action is sometimes a little odd (and entry of the piano a trifle abrupt). Leaving aside any comment on the historical aspects (I'm not qualified to comment), it's hard to know if there is a message we are supposed to take away. The acting is excellent, with the exception of the diction (as mentioned above), particularly if you like to see your heroes looking more goofy than usual. As historical fiction, I was somewhat disappointed. But as a spectacle it is very good. If you're interested at all, I urge you to see it in the movie theater - your DVD player won't do it justice when the time comes. The one opportunity that was grasped firmly and successfully was for the director to be self-indulgent. If you can live with that, then you should definitely go and see it.