Truly Dreadful Film

Absolutely brilliant

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

The best cast is not going to save a rotten screenplay. This terrible movie received positive reviews around 2000 when it came out, but it didn't stand the test of time. Nowadays such poor writing doesn't get accepted. Appalling waste. Profanity every turn of the page, is that how one writes? One dimensional dialogue, nudity for nudity's sake. I'm done with the director and two writer want-a-be's.

I enjoyed this movie (believe it or not) but I absolutely hated how passive and dim Cate Blanchett's character was.I became furious at how she just buckles to everything and everyone! She leaves things out of her testimony that could make her seem more credible, because she's nervous I guess, she cries and stands by while this crazy man burns up his dad, nobody calls the police and the list goes on, why does she keep reading for this man's wife who is clearly an idiot, and why does she always LIE during her readings. Whats the point in doing the readings and carrying on if you are just going to not tell people, or lie to them? I wonder how many deaths or bad things she could have prevented... Is there some rule that psychic's can't change the future by telling the truth?AND why does everyone think this lady can read minds??? She never said that or acted like she could.The dim witted behavior doesn't stop with her. When I tell my daughter to stay outside, that's what I mean. Why do her kids always seem to show up when she told them to stay away? I hate when writers try to drop that in for suspense. Isn't it bad enough she found the cards on the bed? Wouldn't have made a difference if the kids saw...I liked the twists and turns in the movie and I thought Giovanni Ribisi was brilliant, compared to everyone else. Keanu did a good job of acting mad and mean as hell, Katie Holmes played a pretty good slut and Hilary Swank, well, she wore the heck out of the mullet.I would recommend this movie but please be prepared to ignore a bunch of country bumpkin isms and idiots as you make your way through.

For starters Cate Blanchett can do no wrong in my humble opinion, she's a very natural actor with an amazing ability to totally absorb the role she's playing.I found the story weak and some of the scenes incredibly predictable, the jump out and scare you moments, whilst only a handful are over done with sudden explosions of noise from the film's score. Totally un-needed as the tension works a wonderful solo.The cards she uses to get her 'visions' are weird - what are they. This, for me was the biggest weakness. They are an unnecessary prop, the character's psychic ability could very well stand on its own as visions and dreams.There's not badly cast person in this thriller, especially the three boys who their roles brilliantly, one wouldn't know they were acting. If you love Blanchett, you'll not be disappointed. Had it been a little tighter and not so strung out, I'd have given it a 10 - as it is, 8's a pretty good score I reckon.

brilliant acting. impressive cast. and the unique Cate Blanchette. pieces of a most common and special thriller. tale of a gift and which hunting. and force of a woman out of any pressure. not action is important. but the structure. not fear. but delicacy of feelings. moral lesson, metaphor, remember of Christian values, subtle game and silent joy of inspired end. a film as silk. colors, touch, waters of past, the truth and desire to give to others each slice of your gift. vulnerability as heart of force. courage as skin for profound fear. all as beautiful work of a great actress and precise art of each of her partners.