Stephen Hopkins ruined the movie by using nifty camera tricks when they were unnecessary. The movie should just been stripped to the bare minimum - Hackman & Freeman are good enough actors to entertain without any gimmicks. It should've been a variation on Sidney Lumet's The Offence. A very good prospect made average by a Director more interested in style rather than substance.
"Just because you are a character, it doesn't mean you have character" - The Wolf
Director Stephen Hopkins' camera tricks may have "ruined" (a rather strong term, don't you think ?) the movie for you, but I think Executive Producers Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman thought it turned out just fine.
Just the way they wanted it.
CmdrCody
The best directing (and acting) in the film was Monica Bellucci's direction of herself.
They way she said things without saying anything, just with her body, its movement. Visually. Fantastic. She saved the film. Made it coherent.
I didn't realize she had this much talent....I always thought she was great....but to be in there with heavyweights like Hackman and Freeman and still steal the scenes... I'm still thinking about the movie...
shareI really liked her in this movie. Not only she was so gorgeous that when she was on screen you couldn't look anywhere else,but also we could see many emotions in her face even when she didn't speak.
shareI don't think he ruined it, but I agree that some of the superimpositions during the flashbacks could be distracting, if that is what you are referring to.
share