An Unfinished Life (2005)

I think my dad has already seen this movie 50 times.

It's very different than other Hollywood movies for sure. The story is normal but human and it is an universal story about people and emotion.

The bear was a nice way to symbolize the problems of our day to day life with which we always wrestle, sometimes get wounded and sometimes let them go.

Now let's talk about the characters-Einer,Mitch,Griff,Jean . Einer, whose life has stopped after his son's death; Mitch, whose life came to a stopping situation after getting attacked by the bear; Griff, who grew up without a true family and is annoyed by her mother's boyfriend changing attitude but still loves her a lot; Jean, a widow and single mother who is living a dreadful life after her husband's death. All of them are living 'An unfinished life' . But at the end, it seems their life has started to move on.

The story telling is great. The cast made this movie something special. Redford, Freeman showing what they can do but the kid Becca Gardner steals the show. J-LO is good but overshadowed by the excellent performances by Redford, Freeman and Gardner.

This movie is a relief from what we say-conventional movies. I will watch this movie a 100 times-not because it is a classic, because it motivates me lot in many ways.......to fight with myself, to face self-conflict and to learn forgiveness-in a logical way.

Fmovies: As I write this review, I think of why I actually decided to see this movie. I came to the realization that it was to see Robert Redford, and Morgan Freeman - two top-notch, class actors. That said, along with the fact that I'm not a very big fan of Jennifer Lopez's, I thought the presence of Redford, and Freeman would be enough to enjoy this movie. I was wrong, not that either Redford, or Freeman's performances were nothing less than excellent, but the job done by Becca Gardner was especially wonderful. In fact, in my opinion, she stole the show. Gardner's portrayal of the Griff Gilkyson character was a special one indeed. And yes I must admit, I even enjoyed Jennifer Lopez in this movie. All in all, a very solid movie that I enjoyed so much. And the best part, it was NOT a remake.. thankfully !!

I saw a preview of this movie last night. I have been an admirer of both Redford and Freeman for years. They are a marvelous team. I was moved by their banter and by the the caring relationship that is a result of forty years of friendship. Both give Oscar-worthy performances. Jennifer Lopez was surprisingly good as the victim of domestic abuse. The little girl who played her daughter was also excellent.

As my sister and I left the theater, a woman with a clipboard was asking for comments. We both said, "It was great." She answered, "That's what everybody is saying. They liked the story and the actors."

Don't miss this movie! We need more movies that focus on people, not explosions, special effects and gore.

Margaret

An Unfinished Life fmovies. This is the third film from the director that I saw after Chocolat n Cider Ho...I would not call this one a great piece of storytelling but I speak entirely for myself when I say, the characters do not let you go, while you watch this movie. And that is something. Each character and player when he/she is on screen is telling you so many things at a time that you get completely engrossed in their story.

Jennifer Lopez plays a single mother running away from her abusive(typical) boy friend Damian Lewis and has no where to go but to her Father-in-law who hates her. Father-in-law is of course Robert Redford who is not looking forward to anything in life, and his only real purpose in living seems to be to take care of his wounded friend Morgan Freeman. There is Bear which wounded Freeman and is the terror element in the otherwise peaceful Wyoming (smashing locales) town and there is Josh Lucas the love interest/sheriff for Jenny's Cinderella. There is débutant Becca Gardner the even-tempered daughter of Jenny's. Camrein Maynheim (The Practice) has a supporting role. And there I finish the list of principal characters in the movie.

Now why I am taking pains to mention each one of them is because they are who make this movie watchable. Especially Freeman,Gardner and Redford (in that order). Not that others do a bad job. But these three provide all the entertainment. None of the characters are living in what we would call normal circumstances in any way. At the same time there is nothing new about the story they are telling. It is just the way they go about telling it. Unhurriedly, through gestures and expressions, breathing life into these stereotypes. There is redemption for everyone involved and that is expected. But the story manages to teach you something, and not in a very persuasive manner. That is the redeeming feature of the movie and may be that is the flaw. It will fail to influence too many, some might even find it boring. But I guess that is Okay because for the few viewers who like an optimistic story told with compassionate characters played by expert actors, this one is worth watching.

I thought this was Redford's best acting by far. He keeps getting more talented with age. He is my favorite actor. However, he seemed a little wooden and unemotional in some of his past roles i.e. Out of Africa (even though this is one of my favorite Redford movies. The hair washing scene is so sexy!). I was just so impressed with his portrayal of an angry and bitter man. He had a depth to his character that I've never seen him convey before. If you're a Redford fan, you will truly enjoy this gorgeous and thought provoking movie. I wish Redford would win a Best Actor Oscar before he retires.

Also, I think Morgan Freeman brings out the best in his fellow actors. He & Redford have excellent chemistry. Morgan is amazing. He has such a classy and soulful spirit.

Everyone is perfectly cast in the movie. The little girl nearly steals the show from the seasoned actors. It's a must see. I'm looking forward to owning this movie.

I have to say that within the past two years I've hard both positive and negative comments on the film adaptation of the book "An Unfinished Life". I for one was extremely interested upon hearing that a movie was being done with Jennifer Lynn Lopez, Robert Redford, and the brilliant Morgan Freeman. This cast for years have entertained me through splendid movies such as Selena, Out of Sight, The Way We Were, and Million Dollar Baby. Although very aware of the skepticiscm of having La Lopez in a film with Oscar performing co-stars, would prove to show ones stubbornness. Lopez gives a knockout performance and I would challenge anyone who says she was miscast for this role. Isn't it the job of the actor to travel outside of their character, and convey the feelings of another. I don't think much is needed to be said about Redford's and Morgan's heartbreaking performances. Lasse Halstrom has outdone himself again, he has brought justice to the splendid novel by Mark Spragg. I trust all of you will give this Oscar worthy movie a shot, before you draw any of your conclusions. 'An Unfinished Life' reminds me of an old family western, filled with heart and emotion. This coming from a guy whose never in his life has been quite so fond of the wild west.