This film is a brilliant meditation on the themes of guilt, forgiveness and redemption wrapped inside an absorbing and moving narrative. As others have commented, the first half hour or so is baffling, and you really do have to stick with it -it's more rewarding on second viewing really, when the opening scene (before the credits) of a naked Noami Watts and Sean Penn, followed by a scene of a dad with two young girls drinking milkshakes and begging to be allowed to stay for 'just five minutes more' gain a whole new pathos, and indeed are almost unbearably moving, in a way they can't possibly be on first viewing. The editing works extremely well though - it gives the film a haunting and dream-like quality. For me, the scene that really nails the movie is towards the end where Cristina (Noami Watts) and Jack (Benicio del Toro) exchange a glance and you understand she has been able to forgive him, and he feels some kind of reprieve from his living hell.
Only slight criticism: did not think Melle Gainsbourg's acting was up to the standard of the rest of this stellar cast.
A very wise and brilliant film, definitely worth a watch.
Only slight criticism: did not think Melle Gainsbourg's acting was up to the standard of the rest of this stellar cast.
A very wise and brilliant film, definitely worth a watch.