okay, i just caught it, and i've gotta say i think it was actually a little over-rated. sure, i think it's a *really* good movie, but people were talking about it like the second coming of jesus or something.
personally, i thought lost in translation was a far better film, and i might even edge mystic river ahead of it, too. not that that really matters - all three are still excellent.
the structure of this was kind of messy - many of the complaints have been about the unnecessary messing around with time, and it's totally true. this film could have easily been held up by its direction, dialogue and performances, so why (when it added nothing to the film, unlike pulp fiction) did inarritu feel the need to film it like that?
watts, penn and del toro were all superb though, as usual, except i actually don't think any of them (perhaps watts, but i'd still argue otherwise) were in "career best" form - something i've heard said a lot. watts was better in mulholland drive, penn was better in carlito's way and the game, and maybe even mr, and del toro was better in the usual suspects and fear and loathing..., and that's just off the top of my head!
the film's emotions really hit hard though, and i guess that's exactly what inarritu was attempting to do - make us feel, make us think. it worked, and it's a great film, but i feel as if it's almost a victim of its own hype - to an extent at least.