Director Lasse Halstrom (The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, Something to Talk About, What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, ABBA: The Movie)  pulls in another good one in this tragic drama. Based on E. Annie Proulx' award-winning book, Kevin Spacey (L.A. Confidental, Se7en) plays R.G. Quoyle, a broken man who has suffered a horrible life. After his wife (Cate Blanchett  The Gift, Bandits) dies in a car wreck, he and is daughter travel back to his home of Newfoundland with his estranged aunt Agnis (Judi Dench  Iris, The Importance of being Earnest) where they will attempt to re-build their life, and Quoyle will rediscover himself while also discovering the tragic history behind his family.

I'm a big fan of Kevin Spacey and I've wanted to watch this film for a long time, and once again, Spacey amazes me as he performs this role with tenacity. His character, known as Quoyle, is a pathetic man who lets people walk all over him throughout the movie, but never minds as he longs for someone to love him. Kevin Spacey managed to gain weight for his role and looks pretty average as a nimble and meek man with a tragic past. Cate Blanchett has a brutal role as Petal, the sexual and cruel woman whom Quoyle is in love with. Her part in this movie is small, but it packs a punch as she completely changes type for this character.

Judi Dench helps the movie along as well, giving a powerful supporting performance as Agnis, the rough and tough aunt who helps Quoyle go on a journey of self-discovery. Let me tell you, this woman is Oscar gold. She can star in an infomercial and she'd win the Oscar. Julianne Moore (Hannibal, Nine Months) gives an excellent performance as the single mother/ school teacher Wavey Prowse who falls in love with Quoyle throughout the entire movie. Their scenes together were excellent and very engrossing. Perhaps the thing that stands out the most in the movie is the supporting cast, which is lined up around the block with great supporting actors including Jason Behr, Tert Card, and Rhys Ifan (Human Nature, The Replacements) who has a humorous role as Quoyle's neurotic friend.

Scott Glenn also has a great performance as the town fishermen/newspaper Editor in chief who develops faith in Quoyle and assigns him to the town newspaper and often chews him out. The movie has excellent character depth and interesting back story's which not many movies often have, but make this all the more enjoyable. The movie is further developed as it focuses on the tragic history behind Quoyle's family history and past that will surely shock audiences and help define his character and the other characters as well. This was a powerful element to the movie, and kept me watching all the way through. The best thing about this movie is the scenery which is set in the country of Newfoundland. The countryside is a character all its own with its wide open fields, limitless ocean waters and beautiful sky improving this movie by one-hundred percent.

The problem with this movie is that it's so grim, it managed to depress me deeply. Call me sensitive, but the first ten minutes where we learn more about Quoyle and his character kept me groaning in sadness and made me feel bitter. A lot of the movie is very blue and depressing, exploring a more cynical story about life. Quoyle's character is such a miserable man, it's almost annoying as he lets people push him around, even his own daughter who constantly belittles and discourages him without he even yelling at her. The back-story behind the entire Quoyle family is such a miserable and depressing one, that it left my mouth hanging open in shock.

Despite some annoyances, this is a great movie with an excellent story and a great cast which includes great performances by Kevin Spacey and Judi Dench.

- Jason Behr (TV's Roswell) put on 15 pounds for his role as Dennis Buggit.
- Kevin Spacey put on about 25 pounds for the role of Quoyle.