Reviews

This movie is, first of all a piece for which I have a tremendous respect for. But, I have to admit that coming out of the theater I didn't feel good about the film. Having expected too much from it, it displeased me. The first thing this film misses out on is the ability to move you. You would think that you would get more emotional for the characters but you don't. The actors, probably not powerful enough to handle such a movie is probably the cause. The other thing which shouldn't have been done is using subtitles. Mel Gibson should have sticked to his idea of not using any subtitles and let the performances speak for themselves. Subtitles make you miss the performances. Something happened while I was watching the movie. I felt some kind of indescribable discomfort but there was no violence happening on the screen. Maybe it was too warm in the theater... See this movie without expecting too much from it and you will probably do just fine. Unlike me, who is right now asking God to explain to me why this movie wasn't able to move me.

When I saw this movie, I came out of the theater thinking it wasn't good. When I got home, everything changed. I got the best satisfaction feeling of a feel-good movie. Not knowing why this sudden change of mind happened, I started thinking about the high and low points of this movie. First thing that came to mind was the setting where the movie takes place. It's a real paradise: beautiful beaches, sunsets, people, everything you would want in a perfect place. Those things made me feel good about having seen this movie. The second thing is the score. I have to admit that sometimes it's not any different from other movies but most of the time it was just great. It kind of sounded like the score to Wild Things. The third and final thing I enjoyed were the scenes where Owen Wilson's character is in the presence of Sara Foster's character. Those scenes were just perfect. The two of them have the best chemistry on screen. They really make this movie worth seeing. Now, some of the things I didn't like: the plot, because it wasn't going anywhere and you feel like you're watching a bad story happening on screen. No action whatsoever except for those two characters I mentioned before who literally save this movie from being completely dull. Something else I didn't like was the supporting actors. Great cast put together, but no good performances delivered. I'm thinking about Charlie Sheen, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Sinise. As for the director, well I'm not a big fan of the guy. I would go as far as saying that he doesn't know how to tell a story. Sometimes in this movie we get to see some unnecessary scenes without having to do with the actors. Apart from those bad things, the movie isn't so bad at all. If you're planning on seeing this movie, I would suggest you wait for the DVD release. But please, see this movie without expecting too much of it, otherwise you might be disappointed. Again, see it for the Owen Wilson - Nancy Hayes duo. They light up the screen.