This is really on the borderline between four and five stars. On the one hand, the acting is brilliant and the story is captivating. I never lost interest and was always wondering what would happen next, and the revelations about Kate Winslet's character were elegantly handled.
On the other hand, this movie suffers from something that has always annoyed me greatly in storytelling: when two characters don't communicate for no justifiable reason, when just talking a little bit would clearly improve both of their lives considerably. It's just plain stupidity from both characters, and is in my opinion a sign of lazy writing. Obviously, the end result is a touching story, but it comes at the cost of frustration while watching the movie.
Apart from this, and the filmmakers' obvious love of excessive on-screen nudity, this remains one of the best movies this year. It will make you think for days.
On the other hand, this movie suffers from something that has always annoyed me greatly in storytelling: when two characters don't communicate for no justifiable reason, when just talking a little bit would clearly improve both of their lives considerably. It's just plain stupidity from both characters, and is in my opinion a sign of lazy writing. Obviously, the end result is a touching story, but it comes at the cost of frustration while watching the movie.
Apart from this, and the filmmakers' obvious love of excessive on-screen nudity, this remains one of the best movies this year. It will make you think for days.