An Unfinished Life

An Unfinished Life is a quiet, modest and pleasant film that’s a bit on American side for Lasse Hallström. Though it’s predictable and doesn’t have a single really powerful scene, it does have the constant presence of humanity. The film stands on the excellent Robert Redford, while J-Lo doesn’t hurt anything and Morgan Freeman again provides 100% reliable support to everyone. The cinematography and music are rather unobtrusive without fully exploiting the potential of the setting and the subject, which only enhances both the film’s decency and its muted nature. (09.01.2006)

Several social topics (generational relationships, abuse, dealing with the death of a family member) are intertwined with the depiction of simple life in the embrace of the rugged and beautiful landscape of central Wyoming. Although it may seem like a typical boring film, full of contrived shots and pseudo-romantic gestures and speeches like The Cider House Rules, it is not. An Unfinished Life is surprisingly striking and exceptionally funny, with incredibly strong performances and polished dialogue. It may not be anything we haven't seen before, but it is highly enjoyable to watch. The presence of reality all around the main characters is very enjoyable, and Jennifer Lopez delivers the best performance of her career, and that means something. (18.07.2007)

Lasse Hallström has the upper hand in one thing: even from a barren, unpleasant-looking piece of soil he can reap a harvest rich enough to feed the entire audience in one sitting without any major exceptions. While I was far from feeling stuffed after the feast, simply because everyone got only a small portion of originality and creative improvisation (it's hard to look for motifs we haven't found many times elsewhere), I have nothing to complain about in terms of quality and enjoyment. A pleasant, unassuming film that fully benefits from Hallström's narrative sensitivity, the great talent of the two legends (Redford in particular is extremely convincing and could have pulled off the entire story on his own) and the natural beauty of Jennifer Lopez, whose performance is pretty decent this time. Everything goes and ends according to a precise outline, but you know, the formal refinement of some films is difficult to describe, and this is exactly the case. 80% (05.08.2014)

No matter how much I say throughout my whole life that I don't like Jennifer Lopez, there is one exception. The Scandinavian magician Lasse and a custom-made role of a determined mother, who doesn't shy away from radical actions, can be thanked for that. Add to that the embittered Redford, perpetually wise Freeman, and the enchanting soundtrack by Christopher Young in the true American wilderness - and the genre of going back to the roots couldn't have received a better injection than the bickering speeches of the two old timers. And now excuse me, I have an irresistible desire to go after a bear. (16.08.2008)

Lasse Hallstrom is great at these slow-paced dramas. I'd love to live in Wyoming, I'd love to be as cool as Robert Redford in my 70's, I would even forgive the ferocious grizzly in my vicinity. Jennifer Lopez may have an ego bigger than her ass, but here she proves once again that when put in the hands of a capable director, she can act well and she doesn’t get lost alongside two acting legends. Those two, Freeman and Redford, were a joy to watch. Fun fact, the role of the bear is played by the son of perhaps the most famous animal "actor" Bart the Bear. It has to be said that he doesn't put his dad to shame :) (29.09.2007)