I really wanted to enjoy the film but I thought the characters were too passive, the storylines were disjointed, and they didn't integrate effectively at the end, which was frustrating. In fact, the ending came out of nowhere, was weirdly sentimental, and not believable.
Concerning the screenplay, I never understood why the characters had to be displaced across the world. That had a jarring effect on me and it required the use of subtitles, which could have been avoided if they had centered this story locally. I wonder if Eastwood simply wanted to film in France and this script, that jumped all over the world, was his excuse.
And was anyone else bothered by the introduction of the cooking student, played by Ron Howard's daughter? She was the first character that didn't appear to be sleep walking, yet almost as soon as she entered the film she was written out of it. Baffling.
There were more things that bothered me, but I don't recall what they were at the moment. I thought the cast was good but the screenplay was weak. The film meanders too much and the characters just seem to stumble around. The opening shot, however, was quite riveting and showed how fleeting life can be, and how we should step back occasionally and take stock of what is truly important. It was an excellent premise for a film but it needed a stronger focus overall.
Oh, and the musical score was uneven. I was impressed that Clint Eastwood scored it himself, but some of the passages were laughingly cornball.
Best,
Dave
