The one thing that works here is Josh Hartnett. I don't know exactly how to explain it, but he just seems real and a really nice guy. Of course, for all I know he's not...but I enjoy watching him in films.
The other thing that sort of works here are the other performances. Rose Byrne, Diane Kruger, and Matthew Lillard (in a more normal performance that how we usually see him) all do nicely.
But to me, there's a huge problem that overshadows everything else. For me, the key to a good mystery is not making it too mysterious. And here I had the idea that the screenwriter and director were intentionally playing it real crafty, particularly with an excess of flashbacks, to the point that it got very confusing, particularly in the first half of the film.
And to top it off, there is one scene that I felt was just one of the worst I've ever seen in any film -- when Harnett cries in a close-up. You can overdo the "he's very sensitive" routine, and that scene did. And, he's supposed to be overseas on a job and is risking that job by his love crisis. Geez! The film is creepy enough to hold your attention, but it could have been done just so much better, with less confusion. I'm tempted to give it only a 6, but tales of obsession are almost always intriguing, so I'll stick with a shaky 7.
The other thing that sort of works here are the other performances. Rose Byrne, Diane Kruger, and Matthew Lillard (in a more normal performance that how we usually see him) all do nicely.
But to me, there's a huge problem that overshadows everything else. For me, the key to a good mystery is not making it too mysterious. And here I had the idea that the screenwriter and director were intentionally playing it real crafty, particularly with an excess of flashbacks, to the point that it got very confusing, particularly in the first half of the film.
And to top it off, there is one scene that I felt was just one of the worst I've ever seen in any film -- when Harnett cries in a close-up. You can overdo the "he's very sensitive" routine, and that scene did. And, he's supposed to be overseas on a job and is risking that job by his love crisis. Geez! The film is creepy enough to hold your attention, but it could have been done just so much better, with less confusion. I'm tempted to give it only a 6, but tales of obsession are almost always intriguing, so I'll stick with a shaky 7.