For all those who haven't seen it yet (and don't want the story ruined)

Rating: 10/10 (8 September 2001)

This is the best story driven movie ever, and yet until the end it doesn't have any forceful direction in plot, it doesn't need it. All the lead up is a natural story, which is allowed to evolve and expand in a way that is so humanly aware and so subtle that it's remarkable. I remember showing this movie to some friends after I'd seen it and a parent walked in about halfway through and asked "was it good?" they all said it was enthralling and amazing, then the parent added "what's it about?". There was a pause, because everyone realised that to summarise this movie would undermine what it is about in every way possible: every nuance and intricacy is important, and they deserve every minute of screen time that they are generously awarded. We grow into the characters so well that we aren't surprised by how they behave, because we can understand it. Even the apparently crazy antics of Brooks is wholly comprehensible. Then there's the music, amazingly visual and emotionally abundant in content. The movies so good that it doesn't need music to drive it, but when the music is of such astounding quality you begin to get a real resonance of mood, and an extra dimension of depth in the already amazing aesthetics of the cinematography. Whether everyone else is blown away by this movie doesn't bother me, because I will know how lucky I am. Lucky that I came across this movie, and lucky that I get it... that I really get it, in a way obviously not everyone in the world can. Anyone reading this should just hope they will fall into this category, and anyone who hasn't yet should just watch it again, and again, and again... (Please note, the ending is just as perfect as the rest of the package, but in-case someone hasn't seen it yet, I don't want to give it away).