beesol

I'm wondering if I saw the same film as the reviews given here. I watched the film in the afternoon and loved it so much I watched it with my wife the same evening. And she was gripped too.

The plot was tightly wrought and beautifully and sensitively exposed. Not a second was wasted - every conversation, every bit of action in the movie was meaningful in terms of driving the plot. Watching it immediately for a second time I could see how everything had meaning (Bobdil's swimming, Luuk's overwhelming grief at his wife's death etc). Not to say the ingenious idea itself of tying in an exploration of morality with a murder mystery.

I am just so astonished that other people weren't similarly gripped.

The acting, writing and directing of the film were in the most important all brilliant and made for a compelling and beguiling film. Doug Strutt (Lithgow) was presented as a monster, but albeit as a nuanced one. Beatriz (Hayek) is presented as an angel. But the ending turns the film on its head by having Beatriz commit suicide, an action that will surely lead to incredible pain for her patients and her pets and her friends. She effectively duplicates, in her own way, the actions of Strutt and thus demonstrates that she, like Strutt, cares not at all for her fellows. A very disappointing end which seemed to make nonsense of the whole film.

The acting was brilliant, the story line ludicrous. Even accepting the daft idea of being able to switch personalities through astral projection, it was explained in the story that it only works when both parties want to switch. At the end, for no earthly reason I can see Louise astral projects into Adele's house (Why, why, why?) whereupon Adele somehow grabs her personality. A fascinating and compelling serial but, unfortunately, six hours of my life I'll never get back.

Every single season of the show has been magnificent. But nothing could have prepared me for the absolutely glorious and redemptive final. This programme has been a magical journey through the human condition and the closing moments will live with me forever.

I was suspicious of this when the programme started with the usual illiterate musical rubbish courtesy of Herr Zimmer. Matters only got worse when Einstein majestically referred to 'Mozart's Metronome'. The metronome was invented in 1815, Mozart died in 1791. The simplest check could have found this out. Clearly the series writer is lazy and arrogant. I'd already wasted five minutes of my life, I decided not to waste any more and switched off.

I must admit the first half of this film was wonderful - I thought I was in for a treat. And then came the clichés: the husband calling from the hospital- "Don't worry, I only have a stomach ache" - followed by his death, what I surprise - I didn't see that one coming! The ugly teenager that turns into a hot babe. And then having been told since the start of the film of the importance of Gogol's story 'The Overcoat' what a clever twist to have the son reading this story at the end of the film. Such originality! Then there were the plot absurdities - why doesn't the wife accompany her husband to Cleveland, she never explains. She went with him from India to the USA but she won't go with him from New York to Cleveland. (Surely all this wasn't in the Pullitzer prize winning novel.) The film just became increasingly ridiculous as it went on for its overstretched 2 hours.

This film really was a lot of dross - and a missed opportunity to make a great film. Perhaps Mira Nair should have made a film of Gogol's The Overcoat instead.