pennyjune

I only have two beefs with this movie. One is this: why the unnecessary flashbacks, other than to pad the show to make it longer? The other is Megan Fox's heavy makeup throughout the movie that made certain scenes unrealistic. Typical of American productions, though. Note to filmmakers: details matter. Other than that, I thought she did a good job. I found the movie fairly exciting and full of suspense as Emile Hersch as a cop tries to hunt down a serial killer. I don't usually stick with movies that don't grab my interest in the beginning, and this one did. The very low ratings are unwarranted, in my opinion. It's not Shakespeare, but it will grab your attention and entertain you for a couple hours. I enjoyed it.

Regarding other negative reviews here, I get their point. However, I'm not going to pick apart something that works as a whole. It's just entertainment, after all.

The movie starts off with a college professor and his wife who meet a loud, gregarious Russian while vacationing and agree to do him a favor. While the sensible thing would have been to say no thank you, absolutely not, under no circumstances... they are not sensible.

I'll watch Ewan McGregor in just about anything, and he does a decent job. Stellan Skarsgard as the Russian is really the star here, and he plays it up magnificently. Being that the movie begins with a bit of a fiendish undertone, thanks to Damien Lewis's performance in the beginning, I didn't expect it to end up showing much heart. But it does, and that is a pleasant surprise, as is the magnificent scenery. I just wish it were a little longer to allow for more character development of the professor and his wife.

I am giving this incredible series a perfect 10 because it doesn't deserve any less. There wasn't a moment I was not transfixed. The fact that it is based on an actual event in history makes it even better. We need more of these! History comes alive here, as gritty as it was, especially for those of us whose ancestors travelled across country in the mid-1800s under harrowing circumstances. The last time I was so taken with a western was The English.

However, I do have questions. Why did Isaac (played by Taylor Kitsch) always wear a large beanie instead of a brimmed hat, like the other men? It's true that the climate was very cold, and that could explain it. Could it be for the audience to be able to easily distinguish him from the other westerners, Mormons or military? He was so perfect as Isaac, I can't see anyone playing that role.

Other questions involve the boy's disability and his mother's actual status. I won't go into those, because I don't want to give too much away. You'll need to watch for yourself. This was a series I felt as much as watched. I'd give it more stars if I could.