An Unfinished Life

Jean Gilkyson (Jennifer Lopez) is on the run with her daughter Griff (Becca Gardner) from her abusive boyfriend Gary Winston (Damian Lewis). She has no where else to turn to except for her estranged former father-in-law Einar Gilkyson (Robert Redford) who still blames her for the death of his son. Einar is taking care of injured Mitch Bradley (Morgan Freeman) from a bear attack. Both Einar and Mitch must come to terms with the past. Crane Curtis (Josh Lucas) is the sheriff in town who falls for Jean.

I don't know what happened to the distribution but I certainly don't remember this movie being released. It's got Redford and Freeman. That alone should have been noteworthy. I get why some people dismiss Lopez but she does a really good job in this one. She's a good actress in the right project. This is an emotionally deep movie with great subtle performances from everybody to match. Director Lasse Hallström isn't bringing any flash to this and it can seem slow for some. Redford is just outstanding and his performance deserves to be rewarded.

An Unfinished Life may be the sweetest movie you'll see this year, and certainly the most beautiful. Take yourself to the theater, then look forward to the DVD.

We are treated to watch Robert Redford play a perfect curmudgeon, crusty, craggy, a rancher named Einar Gilkyson, in his 60's who has a lot to do every day. His first duty is to take care of his best friend and long time cowboy buddy, Mitch Bradley, played by Morgan Freeman. Then he gets to milk the cows. Their friendship carries the film through the ups and downs of life, with Mitch as the guiding light to Einar's disgruntled reality.

Unable to pull her own life together, Einar's daughter-in-law arrives with Einar's granddaugther in tow, needing a temporary place to stay. Jennifer Lopez plays Jean, and her daughter, Giff, is well played by Becca Gardner. The daughter-in-law is immediately rejected by Einar, still feeling the loss of his son and blaming her for it. They stay any way, and the story develops their lives as the four of them work out their differences while living on the ranch in a stunningly beautiful valley. Josh Lucas plays the local sheriff, a handsome man that reminds one of the younger Robert Redford. He gives spark to Lopezs character while being a complete gentleman.

An Unfinished Life brings a man and a bear together to acknowledge each others strengths, and brings an unhappy, bitter man to realize that he still has an amazing family right in front of him. Appreciation and forgiveness, along with some adversity, show us that unity is still possible even given previous misunderstandings and alienation's.

Every one in the film does a good job, and you feel like you have just visited the ranch and had dinner with these characters, and you want to go back for breakfast. The relationships in this film are realistic and intelligent, not sappy nor Hollywood glossy.

This is a wonderful film and it is a great delight to watch Redford, Freeman, Lopez, Lucas and Gardner play their parts in such gorgeous scenery. There is plenty of humor in the film, and an honest look at how we work out our emotional dilemmas and hang ups and eventually bring out the best in ourselves, often by being around someone else's best.

You will feel bested yourself, for watching this fine film. Compliments especially to Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman, a dynamic duo. They are a perfect compliment to each other, and their maturity is a great bonus to the film.

If you're in the mood for some light, heart warming entertainment then this movie may well satisfy. I really enjoyed it. The story takes place on a small ranch in Wyoming and centres around the tensions between a man and his daughter in law, both of whom are grieving for the son and husband they lost in a car accident many years before.

The appeal of the movie is partly in the beautiful setting and good script, but it mostly lies with the well drawn characters. The plot moves slowly giving you time to get to know the personalities and to understand the tensions between them. Robert Redford and Jennifer Lopez are both terrific in the main roles, and Morgan Freeman shows great pathos in a supporting role as Redford's friend. However, it's Becca Gardner, as Redford's grand daughter, who steals the show. She has some of the best lines, but more than that, she drives the story. Whilst everyone around her is lamenting the loss of the life they believe they should have had, she's busy exploring the new one she's found herself in, and it's her presence - and her outlook - that compels them to reassess their lives.

I've always appreciated the talent of RR and MF. I think JL brings her drama game to this flick which suit her better than romcoms. The entire movie flows and is full of life's many dramas, not just one. Anything Lasse Halstrom does will be family safe and a great story.

This is the third film from the director that I saw after Chocolat n Cider Ho...I would not call this one a great piece of storytelling but I speak entirely for myself when I say, the characters do not let you go, while you watch this movie. And that is something. Each character and player when he/she is on screen is telling you so many things at a time that you get completely engrossed in their story.

Jennifer Lopez plays a single mother running away from her abusive(typical) boy friend Damian Lewis and has no where to go but to her Father-in-law who hates her. Father-in-law is of course Robert Redford who is not looking forward to anything in life, and his only real purpose in living seems to be to take care of his wounded friend Morgan Freeman. There is Bear which wounded Freeman and is the terror element in the otherwise peaceful Wyoming (smashing locales) town and there is Josh Lucas the love interest/sheriff for Jenny's Cinderella. There is débutant Becca Gardner the even-tempered daughter of Jenny's. Camrein Maynheim (The Practice) has a supporting role. And there I finish the list of principal characters in the movie.

Now why I am taking pains to mention each one of them is because they are who make this movie watchable. Especially Freeman,Gardner and Redford (in that order). Not that others do a bad job. But these three provide all the entertainment. None of the characters are living in what we would call normal circumstances in any way. At the same time there is nothing new about the story they are telling. It is just the way they go about telling it. Unhurriedly, through gestures and expressions, breathing life into these stereotypes. There is redemption for everyone involved and that is expected. But the story manages to teach you something, and not in a very persuasive manner. That is the redeeming feature of the movie and may be that is the flaw. It will fail to influence too many, some might even find it boring. But I guess that is Okay because for the few viewers who like an optimistic story told with compassionate characters played by expert actors, this one is worth watching.