An Unfinished Life (2005)
October 7, 2007
I had the chance to watch this movie at about 3 in the morning after Theresa suffered a horrible coughing fit (she developed a cough while at school). She decided to put a movie on since she has this amazing habit to fall asleep to any movie she sets her mind to. I sadly do not have the same ability. In fact I could go so far as to say that if a movie is being played, I’ll be drawn to it like a moth to the flame, regardless of the quality of the movie. All it takes is one hook and it’s over.
I digress.
An Unfinished Life features Morgan Freeman as a maimed black cowboy, Jennifer Lopez as a woman in an abusive relationship, Robert Redford as Jennifer Lopez’s child’s hyper-bitter grandfather, and Josh Lucas as the local deputy.
The premise of the movie is as follows: Lopez is in an abusive relationship, and after yet another attack, her daughter convinces her mom that it’s time to go. They take off to the only place Lopez can think of: Her daughter’s dead dad’s dads place. This isn’t the first place I would think to go when trying to escape domestic abuse, but whatever. Lopez and gramps don’t get along, but they try for the sake of the (grand)daughter. There is bonding and realizations met, confrontations and animal rescue, and old cowboys. Oh and some guy gets a coffee glass to the face for being a dick.
The over-running theme to the movie was not the abuse as one would think, what with Lopez staring in that role. It actually centres around the Grandfather trying to get over himself, and bond with the family he has; mainly his grand-daughter (played very well by Becca Gardner).
What shocked me about this movie was how toned-down it was. Maybe I was just coming off an over-reaction high, but the movie stayed fairly believable throughout. The abuse-topic was low-key and believable (and as a result, Lopez and Lucas feel like minor characters), and the grandfather/granddaughter connection theme wasn’t overstated. Ironically the abuse topic tends to be more of a plot device to demonstrate that there are bigger things to hate in the world then your ex-daughter-in-law. Morgan Freeman played his usual role of wise black guy, and his sub-plot was also used as a bit of a plot device in the gramps/kid line.
What made the movie worth watching to me was the climax, if you wanted to call it that. I won’t give away what it actually was, but I will state that much like he rest of the movie it was very toned-down. I was expecting some big scene where everyone’s yelling and the camera’s all blurry, but that isn’t what happened. It lasted all of two minutes and left me moved on a deep level. It was stunning in its brutality and simplicity. It ended much like many scenes like that would actually play out. What I mean is … have you ever been in a situation and imagined the ending? It’s insane, contains ninjas, and enough explosions to ruin the atmosphere. When it comes to that situations resolution it’s very small, but still effects you on some base level.
That’s how this movie ended for me. It was a slow movie, but I managed to stay awake and interested, and it ran from 3-5 am. That’s gotta say something for the movie. It was believable (for the most part) and the ending was simple and honest. That’s why I really liked it. Plot devices aside (and this movie has a bunch, 9 at my last count) it has some honest and powerful scenes if you’re willing to actually watch the movie from beginning to end.
7/10
Categories: Movie Reviews
Tagged under: 2005, An Unfinished Life, Becca Gardner, Jennifer Lopez, Josh Lucas, Morgan Freeman, movie, Movie Reviews, review, Reviews, Robert Redford, Theresa