setting free the bear

with An Unfinished Life, Lasse Hallstrom turns full circle back to his animal-metaphor masterpiece, My Life as A Dog. Swedish director Hallstrom has made some great and some not-as-great films, including What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Something to Talk About, The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, The Shipping News and last year's under-rated Casanova. An Unfinished Life warms up nicely into a character study of a father and daughter-in-law who live lives of relentless self-loathing. Robert Redford is pretty decent as a mumbling, mean old man - he reminded me of my grandfather, who only found it in his heart to be nice to me, his oldest grandchild. Jennifer Lopez reprises her abused woman role from Enough but without becoming truly kick-ass and Morgan Freeman plays the usual wise man. This movie is surprisingly engaging, especially if you like bears.