Customer Reviews

An Unfinished Life

5 star:		(93)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is a character driven movie with solid performances from Redford, Lopez, and Freeman. Although it is not a comedy, there are many funny lines and character quirks that make you want to keep watching. Each character is on a journey of healing past wounds and is dependent on the others for guidance and insight. As with the movie 'The Horse Whisper' the beauty of the land is breathtaking. It is a thoughtful movie that doesn't rush anything. I loved this movie and would recommend it if you are willing to be patient with the slow pace of the story.

Einar (Robert Redford), a crusty old rancher, does what he can to hold onto his Wyoming ranch. It's been a struggle for years; his son was killed in a car crash, his wife left him, and his longtime friend and helper, Mitch (Morgan Freeman) was recently mauled by a bear. Now, Einar has to care for Mitch, administering morphine, helping him recover. Jean (Jennifer Lopez) and her daughter, Griff (Becca Gardner) have to leave Jean's current abusive boyfriend. The only place they can go is the ranch of Griff's grandfather, Einar, who learns of his granddaughter's existence upon their arrival. He doesn't exactly welcome them.

Lasse Halllstrom's newest film "An Unfinished Life" is being dumped by the studio. The first few weeks of September are always a dumping ground. People are too busy with "Back to School" to get excited about movies, so they stay away. The studios clear out some backlog, usually crap, waiting for attendance to pick up. While "An Unfinished Life" is certainly not groundbreaking, it is a very good film, and deserves some audience.

From the moment we realize Redford's crusty old rancher character is going to take in his daughter-in-law and granddaughter, you will be able to predict just about every moment of the extremely predictable story. Something else needs to catch our attention, to keep us watching. That "something" is the performances.

While the stories of Lasse Hallstrom's films ("The Cider House Rules", "Chocolat", "The Shipping News") may veer towards the schmaltzy, maudlin and/ or predictable, he is generally able to get interesting performances from his actors. In "The Cider House Rules", Michael Caine brought his character to life, earning another Academy Award and overshadowing his co-stars, Tobey Maguire and Charlize Theron. In "Chocolat", Juliette Binoche shined, once again. In "An Unfinished Life", all four leads do a very good job.

Robert Redford ("Spy Game"), surprisingly, is the biggest revelation. As the central character, he is in perhaps 80% of the film, so he is onscreen for a long time, allowing his character to develop the most fully. Once he establishes how "crusty" and "set in his ways" Einar is, Redford is able to start revealing the more subtle aspects of his character. The fact that he has to care for both a sick person and his granddaughter may seem overdone, and it is, but this also gives his character the most opportunity for change. Redford deserves credit for making this believable and watch able. Throughout, he is always ornery and gruff, yet when his character is caring for Mitch, we understand that Mitch is perhaps the one person who gets him and won't put up with any of his crap. As he interacts with his granddaughter, he lightens up a bit when he realizes she is well-mannered. The performance is subtle, well-rounded and may be some of Redford's best work in years.

Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby") has played the "wise sage" role many times and always does a good job. He doesn't add a lot to the character in this film, but his role is central to the rest of the film. Without his character, there would be little balance and we wouldn't be as invested in the other characters. His character's subplot is interesting; because he was mauled by this bear, he now has a connection with the bear and feels responsible for the animal.

Becca Gardner does a very good job of creating the character of Griff, Einar's granddaughter. She is a tough little girl (without being overly precocious) and doesn't shy away from either of the older gentleman. This is a good example of her upbringing and helps to make her character and her mom's character more real. Jean's (Lopez) series of abusive relationships has made Griff a tougher person because she has to look out for herself, at times, and help her mom make the right decisions.

Lopez ("Monster-In-Law") also does a good, fairly consistent job. She is very believable for most of the film. Later, as she relates how her parents moved from Mexico and settled in San Antonio, her character breaks into a Texas accent. When this scene is over, the accent disappears just as quickly. This is really the only false note in her character, in any of the characters for that matter.

Josh Lucas and Camryn Manheim play locals in the small Montana town who help Jean and have an impact on her life. Both are also good.

As "Unfinished" progresses, you get to know the characters and feel for them.

The film was finished approximately two to three years ago, but Miramax held it for a while and then they went through a period of unsettlement as the founding Weinstein Brothers parted ways with the company they founded and Disney, the company that purchased Miramax a number of years ago. It is also a difficult film to sell in the current marketplace. The lead is 68 and his friend is also 68, not exactly the type of marquee value likely to attract that all important 13 - 24 male demographic. The fact that the film contains no car chases, no visual nudity, no visual sex and no special effects doesn't help either. Hopefully, the rest of us, who appreciate fine acting, will make it to this film and make that all important demographic a little less important.

This is absolutely one of the best films I've ever seen. We almost missed it. Somebody was asleep at the studio when "An Unfinished Life" was released with so little fanfare. The acting is superb, the scenery breath-taking. The story packs a powerful message of forgiveness and redemption. We laughed, we cried. This film has it all. "Brokeback Mountain" pales by comparison. I'm predicting "An Unfinished Life" is going to become a classic.

My wife came home with a rented DVD tonight; although I pride myself on trying to keep up with the latest films--what's good, what's not, etc., I had never even *heard* of this film. But I looked at the cast: Redford, Freeman (who is *always* good!), J Lo (yawn--but I was surprised!), etc., I thought "OK, I'll watch".

I was hooked with the opening scene, as a Grizzly Bear wanders through the Wyoming landscape; then, it took a little while for the film to get going, but then it started "clicking". What makes this film work on so many levels is the brilliant acting of Robert Redford (his finest in *years*--he should have been nominated for an Oscar for this one), Morgan Freeman (again, as always), and even J Lo turns in a credible performance. The little girl is very believable, as well.

The film's themes of the importance of family, forgiveness, redemption, etc are handled very well. And all of this against an absolutely gorgeous Wyoming background which was mesmerizing on my Widescreen TV!

This film was HIGHLY satisfying, and I'm going to order it ASAP. Get this and watch it with your family; you won't be sorry.

This movie is a keeper. I first viewed it on cable and decided to purchase it. I actually purchased two copies so that I could give one to our neighbors. I just knew that this was the perfect movie for them, so I couldn't not buy them their own copy. Turned out that I was right on...they watched it five times in two weeks, and I received alot of positive feedback from them for the gift. Others that I've loaned it to also really liked the movie. It's not really action packed like so many of today's movies and is somewhat predictable and feel good, but the characters are very likable, and who doesn't like to get a warm feeling from watching a good show once in a while? For anyone who has been brought up in the Western states, it is easy to feel a kinship with some of the characters, because you have met or known some like them at some point in your life. I would definitely recommend this movie.

Excellent movie all around! This movie is a very good story about pain, guilt and unfinished lives for most of the characters in this movie and how they all get past these issues and move forward with their lives!

A must watch film if you are looking to get away from chick flicks, mindless action flicks, and movie re-makes!

This is a movie about forgiveness. Redford blames Lopez for his son's death. Lopez shows up at his ranch needing a place to stay for a while with a granddaughter he never knew he had. As nature would have it, Redford falls for the little girl. Redford is getting old, but don't mess with his granddaughter. Lopez's abusive boyfriend finds this out the hard way. In the beginning, I thought the movie was going to drag, but then it took off. I ended up enjoying the movie and I think you will too. Redford continues enlightening us film after film.

Director Lasse Hallstrom has twice been nominated for Best Director Oscars for "My Life as a Dog" (1987) & "The Cider House Rules" (1999) in addition to the memorable "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" He guides this film with a sure and steady hand that is as unhurried as it is precise. Oliver Stapleton's stunning cinematography captures the beauty of the West. The pivotal character is Robert Redford's Einar Gilkyson whose son died in an auto accident before the film begins. Redford's only Best Actor nomination came in 1973 for "The Sting," but he delivers a seethingly controlled powerful performance as a man haunted by his past yet struggling to make good moral choices. His foil is hired ranch hand Mitch who was mauled by a bear. From his Oscar nominations for "Street Smart," "Driving Miss Daisy," and "The Shawshank Redemption" to his win in 2004 as Best Supporting Actor in "Million Dollar Baby," Morgan Freeman has proved one of our best actors. He has a knack for communicating great depth of character each time he is on screen. Excellent makeup made it a little uncomfortable for me to watch Redford put salve on Freeman's back wounds, but it showed the extent of the injury. Einar faces his past and the loss of his son while Mitch faces his fears about the great bear that mauled him. Since she was driving the car that killed her husband and Einar's son, Jean played by Jennifer Lopez moved away, had a baby, and has gone from man to man and bad to worse in relationships. Damian Lewis from "Dreamcatcher" and the TV miniseries "Band of Brothers" plays the abusive Gary, creepy & manipulative. Jean seeks refuge with Einar only to be stalked by Gary. I find Jennifer Lopez to be a very good actress. She riveted me to the screen in "Angel Eyes" and deeply impressed me in "Enough." Her range may not be broad, but she gives a sense of honesty and sincerity in each performance that has an edgy depth. In this setting with Redford & Freeman, she shines. Josh Lucas plays the sheriff Crane that becomes involved romantically with Jean. He does a good job in this supporting role. As the waitress Nina in the restaurant who gives Jean a job and a crashpad when needed, Camryn Manheim does an excellent job with her limited screen time. Becca Gardner in her first movie as Griff, named after her deceased father, gives a really engaging an edgy performance. I particularly appreciated the child's independence and seeing her relationship with Mitch bloom from fear to caring. While "An Unfinished Life" is not the most fast-paced film you'll see, the relationships and working through the conflicts of the past to come to a new present make this an valuable viewing. Oh, yes, the bear is very good too! Enjoy!

"An Unfinished Life" is the inscription on 21-year old Griffin's tombstone. He died in a car accident and the driver was his pregnant wife Jean (Jennifer Lopez). Ten years later, Jean is trying to raise their daughter but is being abused by her boyfriend, Gary. She runs to her father-in-law (Robert Redford), a bitter old cowboy who lives on a ranch in Montana where he cares for his only friend (Morgan Freeman). He has never forgiven Jean for his son's death, but grudgingly lets them stay with him. Meanwhile, Gary is searching for Jean and is getting closer.

This little movie is really a gem. It's quiet, slow, and gentle, and the actors are wonderful. Redford looks the part of the beaten-up old man consumed by hatred and grief. Lopez is also good, and Freeman gives his usual stellar performance. The mountain setting is breathtaking and serene, and there is a nice subplot involving Freeman and a grizzly bear that is quite touching. I'm surprised this movie didn't reach a larger audience when it was released. It's a thoughtful look at people who need to forgive, be forgiven, and find meaning in their lives. Heartily recommended.

A Western backdrop; a "real life" situation mixed with a taste of Grizzly Adams; and Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman, and Jennifer Lopez. If that is not a great start, I do not know what else would be needed. This drama tastefully shows an aging curmudgeon (Robert Redford) coping with the lose of a son and his guilt over the incapacitation of his best friend (Morgan Freeman). The film takes place in the Western region of the country with scenery somewhat reminiscent of Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven. The acting is class A all the way. Redford and Freeman give great performances as always, and Lopez is nothing to scoff at either. This is a well thought through piece of cinematic drama; and the care given to this film is quite evident. This is a well crafted movie that should be enjoyed by all.