Sunday 21 August 2005

The Missing (2003)

The more of director Ron Howard's films I view, the more I am convinced that he is little more than a competent journeyman.  His films are made well enough and have fine production values, but he wears me into oblivion with his somber pretentions.  This film starring the able, but I think slightly over-rated, Cate Blanchett as a frontierswoman raising her two daughters without any real male support finds her needing the assistance of her estranged father, Tommy Lee Jones (who went off to live with the Apaches for not very well explained reasons), when one of her daughters is kidnapped by the indians. Jones has acquired some gravitas over the years and is quite watchable, but the chase and rescue and final redemption seem to take forever.  And while it is very sweet of the director to always find a small part for his brother Clint in his movies, I wonder whether he realises that the poor bloke can't act a damn.

 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am replying to this one because it's the only movie of those you have reviewed that I have actually seen and I thought I was a movie fan!
To be honest though I am really more of a 'horror' movie fan and I envy your going to the fright fest, have fun.
I'll keep an eye on this journal in case I recognise any of the forthcoming movies that you might review. I liked the missing btw.
Take care,
Julie