I won't lie. When this came out I just passed it off as oscar-bait. And maybe it was. I mean, is that a crime? Most of the time films are made just purely for profit, so what's wrong with them being made for the recognition of a golden statue?
What follows here, I believe, is a little more than that. I figured out pretty early on what our hero was up to, but it didn't matter, it still unfolded beautifully and the characters were still interesting. It was watching Smith's character struggle with his decisions and motivations. He was magnificent. I knew exactly what he was thinking, how he was feeling, struggling. I've loved him in a lot of his work - but this was the work of a controlled and talented performer. A far cry from the Fresh Prince we first met many many years ago.
Dawson, above, is lovely as well, and your heart goes out to her. She makes you believe in the healing power of love.
Sounds sappy, but this is a wonderful little film. It's not necessarily uplifting, and maybe it's a tad convoluted, but I didn't care - worked for me. It's not the film I think I'll ever need to see again, but I'd recommend it to anyone even vaguely curious about it. There's some wonderful things going in the telling of this story.
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