The New World

For the record, I had no intention of seeing this movie until a week ago, and I was only convinced to see it because other reviewers were being so positive. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not at all what I'd expected, but neither was it what I would have expected to find if I didn't find what I expected. I realize this probably makes no sense, but let me try to explain. I thought it would be a modernized John Smith Pocahontas story that would be dripping with ridiculous scripting and poor acting. When I started to realize that it wasn't going to be this, I expected pretty much the same story, but with good scripting and good acting. What this movie wound up being was something of a cross between an Indian documentary, a nature documentary, and a very reserved love triangle but where none of the three involved where sleazy jerks. The scenery is fantastic if you're into running water, calm forests, and unkempt America. As far as the acting goes, there was hardly a need on the settlers' parts because there was so little dialogue. The Indians on the other hand had to sell the idea of having never seen the modern ways of the settlers, and for the most part they did. The thing that kept this from becoming a great epic romance is the fact that we never really get involved in the characters themselves, or at least I didn't, and when we don't really care for them, we don't really care who ends up together. There are moments when our hearts go out for a particular person with their troubles, but while it's a beautiful looking film, it never really lifts itself above historian's eye candy.

B