don-brown

I am not an Adam Sandler fan so I went with to the preview with great trepidation. It was much better than I thought it would be. There is no question that time is getting short when Cheadle will finally get an Oscar. He is really a terrific actor. This is a movie where race does not matter and we need more like it. Cheadle's character could as easily been white as black and Sandler's character could have been any race. It is a pleasure to see a film where the audience is not bludgeoned to death with race or where it is obvious that it would not work without the race card being played. The film does have it's tedious moments - it could have just as easily wrapped itself up on 90 minutes as in 124 minutes. And the story telling is a little ragged. Also some heavy hitter stars have virtually cameo roles such as Donald Sutherland and they don't get their time on screen until you have forgotten they may have been the reason you bought the ticket in the first place. I wouldn't say it is Must See as with Will Smith in Happiness but it is certainly an Ought to See.

The film has been treated to give it the soft look of the silk Chinese tapestries .. even the gore is softened. However you really don't care too much about either of these people. To much story is crammed into the time and it feels much longer than it is. Norton who always plays a little weird is much too wooden for any audience to really feel his emotions. Naomi falls in and out of love without any emotions. It's really 2.5 stars and that is mostly for the look of the film and China's incredible scenery. You will want a bath when you get home because even through the color adjusted film you feel the heat and filth of rural China in the 20's. But I always thought Somerset Maugham to be more complicated than what is presented in this movie.

Movie has its flaws like the blonde wig that lasts for years and then disappears without comment but I have to admit that generally the movie was well crafted. It moves at a clip that supports its gory and odd characters. Some of the pairings are fabulous .. are there really people walking among us that are like that? I prefer to believe they only exist in screenwriters minds. Mirren is her usual superb self and Gooding shows he really can act. The question is were they in love or was he simply controlled by her. I did not look forward to a nude scene with a woman her age but it was handled extremely well. Also the music choices were excellent. I haven't seen any comments about that aspect of the film.