A pretty good film

Rating: 7/10 (5 April 2007)

I liked this movie all right. It was visually beautiful, well-directed and cleverly laid out. I felt like the director led me through the plot twists wonderfully; with just enough mis-direction and showmanship that I was slowly starting to catch on, but not confused at the final reveal. It was a great surprise and really left you thinking.
My only complaint is that I didn't feel emotionally invested in any of the characters. Robert is angry at his wife's death but she is gone so early in the movie that you don't really feel the pain of his loss or understand his obsession. Borden's main motivator is the love for his daughter but you don't really get that either. He's presented as an emotionally unavailable man who is more in love with what he does, rather than the family he has. Olivia comes and goes without truly capturing the affections of either man, or the audience. Her role in the affair is the same as her role in the movie; a pretty girl who is there to mislead you. At the end when you figure out what is going on, it makes a little more sense but it's not soon enough to make you feel committed to the movie, or its characters.