great acting all around, but the script sends it up in smoke

Rating: 6/10 (2 March 2008)

DDL is beyond excellent, no question, & all the other actors are superb, as is the cinematography, the sets, costumes, the music, everything but the plot. Lots of psychological holes, little depth, all is superficial greed & muscular domination without showing us motivation. We are "told" the whys, but we can't see under skins of the characters.
& that's why it's such an unsatisfying film - by the time get to see the final scene & appreciate the acting (again) we feel cheated. Because we are left with a desolate, bitter drunk who's hurt himself more than anyone else. & we've heard that one before, & with more punch, panache, brevity & passion. I didn't need to sit through this long film to get that pay off - it's not enough, cuz I coulda been watching Escape from New York & drinking a beer!
And what bugged me most, & leads me to believe the director had no idea how to use his considerable resources, is that Ciaran Hinds is utterly wasted - he could have added some dark depth & a show of dedication in his relationship to the man we see baldly as a liar & a scoundrel. Hinds is shot so he almost slinks off the screen; perhaps his small on-screen time is due to editing down a cumbersome film & keeping the action moving. Pity. There isn't any meat on them dry, dusty bones we get to pick out in the oil fields.