|
11 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Couscous Eastern, 8 Jul 2004
Dont expect to watch a straightforward western, and dont be misled by the synopses of this film.It opens with Adrian Lester ransacking an appartment (Later befriending his victim) She tells him a story, about, what may or may not be her parentage. Inbetween flash backs the modern story unfolds, which can be a times a little distracting. An unorthadox begruding freindship springs up between the two, and I have to wonder whether this is a parrallel to the story the old woman tells. The DVD lists Fiennes as the main character Elijah, he isnt. The film is about Luke (David Wenham), who is the main protagonist, and the stories revolve around him, and the relationships he makes with those around him. The film looks and feels tired out, worn down and dry. The violence is distant, and in the case of the turks, comical. Although cleverly put together, and several years in the writing, its a hard view, and an unrewarding one. Although the review on The IMDb database sings the praise of David Wenham (which I begrudgingly agree with). In my opinion he is only as good as the material he is given, (Faramir in LOTR) for example. If offers no historical information, and the viewer is left with a sense of emptiness. The characters are somewhat distant, and un-ingaging.
|