Greetings again from the darkness. One of the advantages to not being dependent upon movie reviews for food and shelter is that there is no concern for a superstar holding a grudge against me and my opinions. Make no mistake, director Clint Eastwood is a Hollywood powerhouse and also one of the most consistently fine filmmakers working today. Still, no one bats a thousand … this is a miss, with barely a swing.
The film follows three basic stories. The first revolves around George Lonegan (Matt Damon), who seemingly has true psychic abilities. The problem is that George does not wish to have anything to do with his “powers”. The second involves twin brother, Marcus and Jason, who live with their druggie mom. Things change quickly when Jason is hit and killed by a truck and Marcus is taken away while his mom rehabs. The third story has Marie LeLay (Cecile De France) as an investigative reporter who gets caught in a tsunami while vacationing and has a “near death experience”.
I will not go into detail for any of the three stories other than to say Jay Mohr plays Damon’s money-grubbing brother who wants to take his talent to the big time; the sadness of the surviving twin is tough to take at times as he searches for a connection to his dead brother; and lastly, Marie’s near-death brings her closer to life than she ever was before.
What is most surprising, given the pedigree of Eastwood and writer Peter Morgan (The Queen, Last King of Scotland) is that this movie and each of these stories are, for lack of a better word, quite boring. We really get little insight into any of the characters – other than the overall sadness each shows regularly. The sub-story with the most interest involves a brief encounter with a secret research clinic sporting a Nobel Prize winner. The clinic evidently has much research and data on this topic.
As you have already guessed, these three stories intersect near the film’s end. This is a ploy that is all too common in Hollywood these days. I won’t give away how it all comes together, but it bordered on eye-rolling. The film does not depend upon the viewer’s beliefs or understanding, though I personally believe some people do have a heightened sense of awareness and connection. That’s not really what it’s about. It’s more about sadness, loneliness and the need for personal connection while alive.
As usual, Mr. Eastwood has put together a terrific score. And I will gladly admit that the first 7-10 minutes of the film, including the tsunami were captivating … and I loved the connection with Charles Dickens. That’s the best I can offer for the film, and here’s hoping Eastwood’s biopic on J Edgar Hoover brings significantly more interest and entertainment value.
SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you somehow enjoy watching sad, miserable people talk to other sad, miserable people OR you want to see a really cool CGI tsunami on screen.
SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you aren’t the president of the Clint Eastwood Fan Club OR you find connections between the present and afterlife to be full- baked baloney.
Posted by David Ferguson 
Movie Reviews from the Dark 