Have you ever watched a new film and felt as if you've seen it replayed over, and over, and over again except in a different era?
Coming into this movie completely oblivious to its existence, since it was a quick decision after "Avatar" was sold out, I was surprised to find that this film had both Maguire and Portman in it, both top-notch choices. However, if it weren't for the precise execution of the script, this film would have fallen flat, forgotten, and collecting dust on a shelf with the rest of the 'soldier comes home and isn't the same ever again' motif films.
Having said that, the first half of the film was fantastic. Benioff's subtle humour and slow character development made our characters personal, the Cahill family could be any American family, mind you... if your family is perfect with the exception of the unloved brother (think Everybody Loves Raymond).
We grieved for Grace when she lost her husband, we saw the sadness in her children's eyes, we even fell in love with Tommy for being a bad boy... and then something went desperately wrong.
What should have been the climax of this film left us feeling as if time had stopped, and indeed, it did.
Instead of feeling joy that the protagonist has made it home, every moment of this film makes us feel anguish that Grace has to deal with him, and the children, (whom, by the way, started getting on my nerves by the birthday scene).
Portman's performance was consistent through out, as was Gyllenhaal, who I found myself having more sympathy for.
By the time the psychologically and emotionally impaired soldier finally snaps, the acting becomes almost laughable on Maguire's part, and hardly worth taking seriously.
When this far-too-long clichéd saga was over, we could finally finally breath, and rest knowing that no, grace didn't really have an affair when she should have, Sam didn't kill himself when he had been a ticking time-bomb for over an hour, Tommy still got the short end of the stick, and the little girls clearly had some unresolved jealously issues.
Was it absolutely horrible? No. Was it a masterpiece? No. Would I watch it again? No.
Coming into this movie completely oblivious to its existence, since it was a quick decision after "Avatar" was sold out, I was surprised to find that this film had both Maguire and Portman in it, both top-notch choices. However, if it weren't for the precise execution of the script, this film would have fallen flat, forgotten, and collecting dust on a shelf with the rest of the 'soldier comes home and isn't the same ever again' motif films.
Having said that, the first half of the film was fantastic. Benioff's subtle humour and slow character development made our characters personal, the Cahill family could be any American family, mind you... if your family is perfect with the exception of the unloved brother (think Everybody Loves Raymond).
We grieved for Grace when she lost her husband, we saw the sadness in her children's eyes, we even fell in love with Tommy for being a bad boy... and then something went desperately wrong.
What should have been the climax of this film left us feeling as if time had stopped, and indeed, it did.
Instead of feeling joy that the protagonist has made it home, every moment of this film makes us feel anguish that Grace has to deal with him, and the children, (whom, by the way, started getting on my nerves by the birthday scene).
Portman's performance was consistent through out, as was Gyllenhaal, who I found myself having more sympathy for.
By the time the psychologically and emotionally impaired soldier finally snaps, the acting becomes almost laughable on Maguire's part, and hardly worth taking seriously.
When this far-too-long clichéd saga was over, we could finally finally breath, and rest knowing that no, grace didn't really have an affair when she should have, Sam didn't kill himself when he had been a ticking time-bomb for over an hour, Tommy still got the short end of the stick, and the little girls clearly had some unresolved jealously issues.
Was it absolutely horrible? No. Was it a masterpiece? No. Would I watch it again? No.