Go on say it, I know you want to.
VOICE IN HEAD: You MUST have seen this before you Muppet!
Yes I have seen i but I have never WATCHED it, big difference.
I was quite surprised at how slowly this one seems to progress, when things are happening it is a riveting view but there are long stretches of montage and seeming filler that really drag the film out. With determination and grit you can get past these but it really is a detriment to keeping attention.
Now lets get the “true story” bit out of the way. Yes they did exist but the story is loosely based on their lives and I’m sure that neither would seem as affable in reality as portrayed by Redman and Newman. This characterisation is brilliant and you do get the impression that they are joined at the hip, even down to the “Raindrops” sequence which, until now, I had been convinced was between two lovers is actually between Newman and (to quote The King) the girl of his best friend. 
I wanted to rave about this film. Yes it is enjoyable, there are several extremely memorable sequences and the cinematography is often breathtaking but I'm afraid that, for me, it does fall short of brilliant and instead falls firmly into “a good solid film”. With the trash that Hollywood seems to churn out on a regular basis now that's fine in my book but overall it won’t be inhabiting my must own list of dvd’s.
Paul Out
