This is a thinking person's movie. If you enjoy a good character study and depiction of human behaviour under pressure, then this is the movie for you. If you want to "follow the clues" and work out whodunnit, there are very few clues and so this probably isn't the movie for you. Whodunnit is, of course revealed, but I think perhaps more to make the movie complete than to further the plot.
The character of Bernard Cleve is beautifully acted (as in fact all the characters are). He is an interesting and complex character. In fact, despite his own predicament he shows amazing sensitivity for others.
The dynamics between other characters are also telling. For example, the way that some people will remain firm in their own opinions, even if they suspect they are wrong. And for what? Perhaps to "not rock the boat", and yet their boat is ultimately rocked.
For me this is not a movie to watch on TV but on a video, DVD or MP4 so you can frequently replay parts. You will need to because some of the dialogue is incredibly difficult to make out (it almost seems that there is no training these days that requires actors to speak intelligibly). Another reason is that there is much flicking back and forward in time and it becomes quite difficult to work out what is happening, who is married to who and whose children are who. These are my only criticisms of what is otherwise a great movie.
The character of Bernard Cleve is beautifully acted (as in fact all the characters are). He is an interesting and complex character. In fact, despite his own predicament he shows amazing sensitivity for others.
The dynamics between other characters are also telling. For example, the way that some people will remain firm in their own opinions, even if they suspect they are wrong. And for what? Perhaps to "not rock the boat", and yet their boat is ultimately rocked.
For me this is not a movie to watch on TV but on a video, DVD or MP4 so you can frequently replay parts. You will need to because some of the dialogue is incredibly difficult to make out (it almost seems that there is no training these days that requires actors to speak intelligibly). Another reason is that there is much flicking back and forward in time and it becomes quite difficult to work out what is happening, who is married to who and whose children are who. These are my only criticisms of what is otherwise a great movie.
