Initially wanting to give this a higher mark, I seem to have settled for seven stars. I could have been influenced by some of the other reviews, although a number of them are exceedingly obtuse. Dogs die, and any city can supply a few dead dogs over the weeks it takes to shoot a film. Objections to the language seem equally misguided. Stories by English writers are written in English for their audience, even when set in different countries and different times. Should Gladiator have been acted in Latin, or Troy in Ancient Greek, The Duellists in French, Dracula in Transylvanian ?
The DU is well-acted, and interestingly written, although somewhat predictable. Nevertheless it seems to need tightening, and this may be because of the relative functional inexperience of both director and script-writer. It wavers between corrupt politics and doomed romance. In essence it appears to be presenting the dilemma of the decent man, played by Javier Bardem, torn between living a moral life, an unsatisfactory marriage, and the everyday necessity of having a career sufficient to support his child. The artificial deal in the final scene about relinquishing the prospect of becoming president seems exceedingly unrealistic, although it also seems a convenient way of resolving this policeman's character. Ballet and cosmetics, the occupations of the two women in Bardem's life, are minimally brain-demanding.
The DU is well-acted, and interestingly written, although somewhat predictable. Nevertheless it seems to need tightening, and this may be because of the relative functional inexperience of both director and script-writer. It wavers between corrupt politics and doomed romance. In essence it appears to be presenting the dilemma of the decent man, played by Javier Bardem, torn between living a moral life, an unsatisfactory marriage, and the everyday necessity of having a career sufficient to support his child. The artificial deal in the final scene about relinquishing the prospect of becoming president seems exceedingly unrealistic, although it also seems a convenient way of resolving this policeman's character. Ballet and cosmetics, the occupations of the two women in Bardem's life, are minimally brain-demanding.