Reviews

I saw a screening of this tonight, and I was very impressed. I expected a rather shallow comedy, but instead, received a well-thought out and delivered work which was insightful, quirky, funny and touching film which was far above my expectations. Cage delivers a great performance as usual, and the father-son relationship between Cage and Caine was authentic and balanced. This is not just a comedy, but is a study of the importance of family, and an overlying existential questioning of what our lives are all about. I highly recommend it for men and women alike. On a side note... Verbinski's works are diverse, fun, and interesting, and this is no exception.

So, I have been waiting for this movie for about three years, since I first read the novel. I have always known that the book would be difficult to translate onto film, but the story is so interesting that I was sure they would do a decent job adapting the book. However, the movie was not nearly as good as I had hoped.

However, if you are a staunch fan of the book, this is not the movie for you (I know, books are always better than the movie). Perhaps I just need a second viewing (I saw the movie last night), but perhaps it is just the substandard script, and the rather poor acting by some of the actors... I really liked Ethan Embry and Gerard Butler, but really despised the casting of Paul Walker (though I like him in other movies).

So, the movie did not really follow the book, and it left out so many things that there were huge gaps in the plot and a bit hard to follow, but the movie was amusing, and the medieval scenes were worth the ticket price alone. The acting was very static and two-dimensional, but overall, I would recommend it (very mildly). The action sequences are pretty good, and the medieval sets and costuming were great.

Did I mention the plot gaps? That is the killer of them all.

I first saw this movie in its theatrical release, and fell in love with it. I had read the novel by Maeve Binchy, and though the movie is not nearly as good as the novel, I would recommend it to anyone. It is a story of love, the bonds of friendship, and growing up in Ireland in the fifties. The story is universal however. Maeve Binchy's books are like coming home- though to no home I have ever known. This movie is worth the time spent.