I am heartbroken. I am overwhelmed. I might even feel like crying (ok...that's a bit much). Unfortunately, I don't feel this way because I just watched an emotionally stirring film. On the contrary, what I have just watched is a film so completely unmoving, that it has left me devastated and underwhelmed. I wanted to love this film so badly....and I can't even pretend to love it. Though the film does benefit from Julian Schnabel's wonderful directing, and some gorgeous cinematography, there's something unfortunately clinical about the script's approach to what is truly a very emotional and very human story. Acting is very good, but the script seems to hold it back. The big Max Von Sydow phone conversation scene which has reportedly been putting audiences into fits of crying, did absolutely NOTHING for me. This might be the first time I nearly cried during a film's trailer....and then went on to be left feeling nothing from the film. Not happy. Not sad. Not amazed. Nada. It would've been forgiveable had the film managed to be hypnotic or mesmerizing...but it was hardly that. Granted, it did hold my attention, but again, with a story this intimately HUMAN, the treatment is too distant. A heartbreaking disappointment. No wonder France chose "Persepolis" as their foreign language film entry...
Grade: B-
Nominations: Best Director - Julian Schnabel (#5), Best Cinematography (#1 WINNER)
Number of 2007 Films Seen: 48
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