I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

I would think the book probably better than the movie although I never read it. The movie lost its focus half-way through. This movie never made into the mainstream release. Over the top terrorist plot might have some bearings. The director possibly thought it reflected the current events. However, it became avoidable by the audience. I also think it could do without to make the storyline whole. There were a lot of borrowing ideas all over the places. It's like I was watching "Dark Places" again. Sometimes, you have to trim the branches to help the tree to grow. Some reviews did not like American actress playing the lead role. I would say the studio had it released in the US in mind and with the American taking on the lead role would draw the audience. It just never made that far. It cost a lot to make the explosive scenes. I felt it was totally a waste. If they just stuck on the love scenes, that might help to get into the main distribution.Adapting the events bigger than the screen could carry is not feasible. This one is an example of it.

To me, this is one of those "love it or hate it" movies.I started watching this movie because I adore Matthew Macfadyen. I note that some reviewers said they also watched it because they liked one of the main actors.However, even this adoration couldn't carry me through the whole movie. The plots and sub-plots were too bizarre and after 45 minutes, I stopped watching. Then I tried to continue for another 15 minutes but eventually abandoned it altogether. No, I don't want to know what happened to her in the end.I gave this movie 2 stars, one each for Matthew Macfadyen and the director for trying.Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch an episode of Spooks, or maybe Homeland.

You should definitely read the book instead. Some of the characters of great importance for the story is either written out or payed no attention to in the movie. Which is really a pity and also twists the basic story so it will never reach the level the books does. I was well disappointed as well to see an American actress hold the leading role. A Dawsons Creek actress -how did they ever come up with that? When the book was to come out, the big attack in London occurred and due to the many similarities of the fictive story and what happened in real life, they had to take the retract the book and postpone it's release for a year or so. I very much recommend the book, but the movie will only ruin it for you.

Having knocked us all out in 2004 in LAND OF PLENTY by Wim Wenders, here Michelle Williams proves that she is truly supernatural. She gives one of the most gut-wrenching performances ever seen on the screen. And for a Montana gal who had to brush the sagebrush pollen out of her hair before joining polite company, stow her lasso, and pretend to be civilised, how did she manage to master the accent and rhythms and patterns of speech, dress, and mannerisms of those real savages, the gals in those short tart's skirts who live in tower blocks in East London and are married to men who support Arsenal Football Club? (Ugh! Football! Makes me sick! And singing about a football club, how oafish can you get?) It all goes to show that Williams, like good wine, travels well, even though in this case it was from planet to planet. This film is so brilliantly written and directed by Sharon Maguire (formerly a television documentary film maker) that the combination of Maguire and Williams sets the cinema on fire and thereby justifies the film's title admirably. Excellent support is had from Ewan McGregor and Matthew MacFadyen as the two male leads, but all eyes are on Williams. The production values of this film are very high, and it is easy to be convinced that the big terrorist attack on Wembley Stadium has really happened, as the attack and the aftermath are all so real. However, this is not a film about terrorism, which is merely the backdrop, in the sense that world wars and civil wars have been for so many films in the past, from GONE WITH THE WIND to FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS to MRS. MINIVER. This is a film about people, but especially about Michelle Williams. Only a woman could have directed this. In fact, one is tempted to say that all films with terrorism backgrounds should be directed by women, because they are not tempted as men are to dwell on all the violence for its own sake. With a woman at the helm, this film becomes a people film, but a man would have strayed, taken more interest in guns and corpses and explosions (little boys going bang bang sometimes never grow up, especially when they have a budget and a cameraman handed to them). As a study of searing grief and despair, Williams has our hearts in her mouth, but don't worry, it isn't really a downer, it is simply so spellbinding looking at her and seeing into another dimension. She seems to be a tiny little thing, and it is almost inconceivable that such a small package can carry such a huge explosive power. This film really is an instant contemporary classic.