An Unfinished Life

Your basic Lasse Hallstrom formula-film, featuring people in dire situations who are redeemed when their basic goodness comes to the fore, elevated a notch by a pair of actors displaying sides we don't often see.

If the plot seems overly familiar, Lasse Hallstrom at least directs the action with conviction and style, and his drama is greatly abetted by the scenic big sky locales.

Everything about An Unfinished Life's screenplay is cliched and predictable, but the actors manage to elevate the proceedings above and beyond shameless soap.

By the conclusion, the movie turns into the ursine answer to "Free Willy," veering dangerously close to New Age parody: Free your inner bear -- and begin to heal from the last time you got mauled.

It's an acceptable film, but the story of family ties and forgiveness simply cannot manage the emotional connections it is desperate for.

Lasse Hallstrom's leisurely drama about remorse, forgiveness and spiritual healing is a film of big emotions and ferociously small gestures.

Solemn, sentimental bore of a movie that suffocates in its own predictability and watered-down psychobabble.

An Unfinished Life is of the grumpy-farmer/rancher impacted by the arrival of a child genre. Super-star Morgan Freeman, and top tier acting talent Robert Redford and Jennifer Lopez make this a film worth watching. Other very good acting by others like Camryn Manheim as Nina the restaurant owner and Damian Lewis as Gary the abusive boy friend also delivered more top notch work. The plot was good - but, not the main reason to enjoy this movie.

With a plot that's quite simple but effective and some excellent scenery to chew, Lopez just about manages to keep up with her inexplicably good co-stars.

Why oh why did I watch it? I should have known: a Lasse Hallström film... This film is about learning to forgive people for their past sins and to forgive yourself for your own mistakes yada yada yada...watch the trailer or better yet, read the synopsis. It'll save you 108 mins of your life. The layer of emo-goo is laying on so thick that the slow moving plot almost gets stuck in it. If you've seen more than 50 movies in your life you've probably at least seen one of these. Unless you like seeing the same crap regurgitated over and over again I'd suggest you spend your time watching something you haven't seen before

JLo is an arrogant and deplorable woman who doesn't know what quality and talent is. His works are hideous and dark.