'The Unforgivable': Sandra Bullock not enough to make this redemption drama watchable
Contains spoilers for 'The Unforgivable'
Netflix's 'The Unforgivable' is a tough watch. Unfortunately, the talented cast, spearheaded by Sandra Bullock can't do much to save it. The American version of British writer Sally Wainwright’s 2009 miniseries, Unforgiven is shredded down to a two-hour movie, but in that attempt, the movie fails to make an impact. Bullock stars as Ruth Slater, an ex-con, still pretty much an enemy to the world. She doesn't want forgiveness, but her only wish is to reconnect with Katherine (Aisling Franciosi) who she last saw when she was five. Ruth does time for 20 years for a bloody, damned, and violent crime.
German director Nora Fingscheidt's English debut shines, but only when it comes to developing Bullock's character as the rest of the cast, despite their supremely stellar performances are actually pieces moved across. She nails the tone — grim and gritty, the raw emotions — in full display, and the direction is pretty impressive. However, the lack of punch in writing makes 'The Unforgivable' tough to like, just supplementing why the movie was panned by critics when it was released on November 24 as a limited theatrical release.
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Vince Cross (Rob Morgan) plays Ruth's parole officer and informs that she isn't allowed to interact with any felon or make contact with the family of the cop she killed, but word gets out that she's free and the dead man's sons, Keith Whelan (Tom Guiry) and younger brother Steve (Will Pullen) come in search for her. What follows is a thick plan they hatch to get the better of her. Ruth's crime is revealed in pieces throughout the film and although it is revealed that she killed the sheriff early on, the twist is hidden till the final minutes.
This is practically two separate movies rolled into one but would have perhaps worked better as 29-minute miniseries that Netflix is famous for. Ruth's post-prison life is given due screentime leaving less room for the other cast. Lawyers John (Vincent D’Onofrio) and Liz (Viola Davis) form key components in the film as their relationship with Ruth drives the movie forward. There's that romance tease with Jon Bernthal's Blake, an ex-convict himself, but that's one short-lived piece of the story.
Bullock plays Ruth with absolute finesse. She's absorbed in her character and those raw emotions are a sight. The deglammed version of Bullock uses silence and tears to perfection in scenes that can only tug the heart, but unfortunately, the frame changes just when she attempts to get the audience more involved. The final stretch is all about a showdown with the sheriff's sons and Katie's sister Emily, but the end again is rather abrupt making 'The Unforgivable' feel incomplete.
'The Unforgivable' is available for streaming on Netflix.
