An average movie

I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie but since it was starring Ralph Fiennes and Cate Blanchett, two of the best actors around, I was definitely eager to check it out. I had already seen 'Charlotte Gray', also directed by Gillian Amstrong and starring Cate Blanchett, but I thought it was really disappointing since it was really simplistic and stereotypical. This movie was quite the opposite though. Indeed, frankly, I thought it was actually rather messy this time. Indeed, during the first 30 minutes, you get two rather confusing stories introducing the main characters. And then, suddenly, the whole thing turned out to be about gambling but that was just for a while. Then, you had a love story, a crazy project, an Aguirre-like jungle expedition, a random sex scene with a woman we barely saw and one of the most unbelievable death scene you'll ever witness. I know, that's a lot and a bit too much. Still, I thought that the directing was pretty good, better than in 'Charlotte Gray' and I must admit that those 2 characters were quite fascinating, thanks to the impressive performances by Fiennes and Blanchett who would have her breakthrough a year later with 'Elizabeth'. To conclude, honestly, it was almost a good movie, it is a pity that it wasn't better written but I still think it is worth a look though especially for the actors involved.

6/10