I enjoyed this film a great deal, not least because of Richard Gere's deeply convincing dramatic portrayal of Richard Bloch, a man who becomes obsessed with the son he never knew, and who becomes determined to find validation of himself through the boy he never met. The story unfolds slowly, gradually disclosing its secrets only, it would seem, incidentally. Meanwhile, Bloch discovers in himself, the dutiful son, also what might have been a doting father. Sidetracked from the vocation of fatherhood, he becomes a successful, if insular individual and it's only through the unexpected encounter with a child he never met, does he engage with the promise within himself that had gone unrealized - even as his expectations are diminished and the idealism of fatherhood is laid bare by a son, who, finally falls far short. It's a brilliant study in paternal love and longing, imo, and wonderfully acted by all. Gere's performance, was for me, a revelation. I simply never expected this of him. Offbeat, and quite dark, this film will appeal to people who enjoy stories from life; who are ok with the unconventional, and engage with life's complexities.
