The Unforgivable

In the 1970s, this would have been a film with Jimmy Caan directed by John Cassavetes, and it would have seemed much more true.

This is awfully contrived, melodramatic, and nonsensical.

The original allows for variations in mood, while also giving its characters lives outside the narrow constraints of the main game. The film, in contrast, is all business and a bit of a plod. It's time for Bullock to cheer up.

There's a good reason this story was once told as a miniseries: that's a lot of plot for a movie that clocks in at just under two hours.

A dreadful and dreary melodrama.... despite Bullock's noble efforts to play against type, "The Unforgivable" is largely forgettable.

A glum show of flashbacks scored by strings that keen as though Ruth's conscience is rubbing a wet finger on a glass of water.

This story of redemption, pain and regret could have been a maudlin slog with a lesser actress inhabiting Ruth Slater, but in the hands of Bullock, it’s simply a must-see.

The Unforgivable is just that, in almost every way.

While the ending undermines much of the gritty authenticity from earlier in the film, Bullock’s performance keeps us centered while reminding us of how good she can be with the right material.

By the time The Unforgivable is over, you won't be pondering the real-world implications of the film's themes so much as shaking your head and muttering, "Only in the movies."