A nearly great exploration of Charles Dickens and his controversial relationship with a young wanna be actress. Lovely scenery, intelligent script and all-round brilliant performances yet this still doesn't seem to really come together.
It felt like the point of the film was forever in becoming clear. Scene after scene and the purpose of the film remained vague, and it wasn't until at least 30 to 40 minutes in that we finally got an idea of what it was about. Way too long.
The result was a rather plodding film that tried really really hard to be something special but just didn't have it within itself to cross that greatness line. Fiennes is the heart and sole of this film despite Felicity Jones' attempts to make it her own. She just gets way to much empty screen time when Fiennes's Dickens is what is truly drives the story and its (hoped for) promise.
Jones and her character just don't have the power to make this film fly and that's such a shame because this film either lives of dies based on her. Without that driving force the film languishes along at a three knot pace driving the audience to distraction. Come on, give us something to get us through the lean scenes of quiet poise and knowing stares.
And what's with all the intense close ups? One or two are fine but I felt I was invading the actor's personal space with so many intimate in-your-face shots.
Fiennes does a fine job of acting in this, but his direction gave us a story that was just too stolid and deathly slow that all the visual good will was lost. It was a film that we, the audience, just had to endure.
Bummer.
** out of *****
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