Jean Gilkyson (Jennifer Lopez) has had a history of bad relationships. She has basically succumbed to being a weakling and lives in fear of her mates along with her young daughter Griff (Becca Gardner). However, after a fight with her latest boyfriend Gary (Damian Lewis), Jean has had enough. One day she takes Griff and the two run away. However, the only place they have to go is the plains of Wyoming, where her ex-father-in-law resides.
Einar (Robert Redford) is a seeminly aloof individual who lives in complete seclusion on his farm. Aside from a few trips into town, the only face he regularly sees is that of his best friend Mitch (Morgan Freeman). Mitch was mauled by a bear a year ago and lives in a cabin outside of Einar's house. One of the reasons Einar remains so seclusive is because of a tragedy. Several years ago, his son Griffin was killed in a car accident - with Jean at the wheel. He has always disliked Jean since then, since he believed that she was the cause of his death. Imagine his surprise when Jean and Griff show up at his doorstep asking for a place to stay.
These four people couldn't be more different in their opinions and all have been through their fair share of pain and anguish. But by living together, they must come to terms with the demons that have been haunting them and recreate a family that was shattered. This leads to their growth as individuals and helps them overcome things they never thought they could accomplish.
Filmed back in 2003,
AN UNFINISHED LIFE has been the subject of much discussion and controversy. It seemed like a dream project that was sure to garner some attention during awards season. It had a fantastic director and a respected cast, including a dramatic turn from Jennifer Lopez - an actress who has never been given much respect. However, for some strange reason, it kept being postponed. Now after several release date changes, it finally sees the light of day over two years from when it was filmed. Miramax has become notorious for this sort of treatment, doing something similar to 2002's
GANGS OF NEW YORK or this year's
PROOF. Simply put,
AN UNFINISHED LIFE didn't deserve this treatment. In fact, even though it has a history of bad buzz surrounding it, it is a truly fantastic film.
The performances are fantastic and all three of the leads deserve Oscar nominations. Robert Redford delivers a powerful and effective performance as a tortured individual, and you can really understand his pain and relate to his character. His development seems realistic and he actually becomes quite likable. His character actually reminded me a lot of Frankie in
MILLION DOLLAR BABY more than anyone else. I've always loved Jennifer Lopez and found her to be an underrated talent, and she gives the best performance of her career here with a strong and emotional portrayl of Jean. After reading the novel, I had my doubts of what Lopez could pull off, but she exceeded all of my expectations. She deserves a Best Actress nomination for sure because she plays so against type. Morgan Freeman also plays a character similar to that of
MILLION DOLLAR BABY, but he does it extremely well. He is wise and charismatic but also gives the character a lot of emotion and backbone.
The supporting actors are also very strong. Becca Gardner makes her debut here and is really the heart and soul of the picture. The character she plays is very complex and mischevious, and she pulls it off brilliantly. Josh Lucas is solid but a bit underused as the friendly town sheriff. Damian Lewis is actually quite creepy as the vicious Gary. Camryn Manheim is also excellent as a local restaurant owner with a dark past. She may have only one key scene, but it is one of the movie's highlights.
Director Lasse Hallstrom has a strength for making visually beautiful films, and this is no exception. This is definitely one of his strongest works to date. The scenery is amazing and some of the shots are truly unforgettable. This is his best work since 1999's
THE CIDER HOUSE RULES and makes up for the disappointment of
THE SHIPPING NEWS. Thankfully, the movie is actually quite faithful to the novel. This is due to the fact that the original author Mark Spragg serves as one of the screenwriters. Some of the dialogue is very well-written and keeps the film moving at a nice pace. I found the whole film very interesting and the symbolism of certain events served as a good form of discussion after the film.
Overall,
AN UNFINISHED LIFE is one of the very best films of the year. The performances are all brilliant and the direction is also spectacular. The film also features a strong and emotional story about grief, family and forgiveness. This deserves tons of praise and Oscar recognition and I hope they won't look down on this one due to its troubled history. Don't listen to the bad buzz. I truly have to agree with film critic Roger Ebert on this one. Do not miss this spectacular film!
9/10 (A)
It didn't make me like the movie any less though.
