Review

Review Date: 11-September-05
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Juicy

An Unfinished Life (2005)

I bought my ticket to "An Unfinished Life" behind a passel of ladies requesting the senior citizens' discount and giggling like schoolgirls at the prospect of watching Robert Redford, who "may be old but is all right by them." In my mind I mocked them for choosing their entertainment so shallowly (despite the fact that I might see "Doom" just to gawk at Karl Urban), but it turns out they had this movie's number all along. For the main attraction of "An Unfinished Life" is Redford and the culture for which he stands: the Western beauty, the cowboy ruggedness, the no-nonsense masculinity that adheres to a simple code and knows how to get things done. Never mind that some characters don't work or some of the plot is half-baked; this is a movie about escaping to a place where peace is found in the rhythm of nature and the heart of a real man — specifically, a real man with eyes like the Wyoming sky. As such, it's a soothing break from reality.

The movie's concepts of escape and asylum are introduced with Jean Gilkyson (Jennifer Lopez), a single mother who has run through increasingly abusive boyfriends since a mistake cost her the life of her husband 11 years ago. When the latest Mr. Wrong (Damian Lewis) knocks her around one too many times, she takes off with her daughter (Becca Gardner) in search of greener pastures. Not finding any, she lands in the small town where she grew up and where her erstwhile father-in-law, Einar (Redford), holes up on his ranch harboring a bitter resentment over the loss of his son.

The pairing of Lopez and Redford is what drew me to "An Unfinished Life," but they don't spend a lot of quality time together. (In part because she doesn't bring much quality to the role. She's much better tough than terrified.) Nevertheless, Redford has ample opportunity to bounce his crusty charm off others, mostly through his interaction with Morgan Freeman as Einar's friend and former ranch hand, Mitch. It's a tad disappointing to see Freeman dispensing noble wisdom from the sidelines again, but you got to admire the guy for being so good at it. Although they're grizzled coots, anyone in her right mind would want to sit down with Einar and Mitch and bask in their old-timerness and effortless understanding of each other. Which is exactly what Einar's newfound granddaughter does, discovering in them the fathers she never had. (Understandably, she assumes they're gay, and they're man enough and fond enough to laugh about it.)

The tension ebbs and flows as the parties confront both a bear who's Mitch's nemesis (and a symbol of the uncontrollableness of life) and Jean's spurned beau, who plans to reclaim her with flattery or force. She's also pursued by a more suitable lover in the form of the local sheriff (Josh Lucas, clearly hoping his baby blues reflect some of Redford's glow). But her salvation doesn't lie with the law. It rests securely in the calloused hands of Einar, a true Western hero who's unafraid to take action and able, eventually, to grasp the essential fact that death will come but life must go on. His moral and physical strength are Jean's salvation (and her daughter's), and they are one with the land he owns and the sweat he's poured into it for years. "An Unfinished Life" builds its drama around his central force, glorifying Einar/Redford as the answer to any lost soul's prayers. It may be hokey and it may be pat, but it's powerful enough to carry the picture.

Copyright © 2005 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.