The first 20 to 30 minutes of this movie are difficult to follow. Jumping quickly from one century to another, there seems to be neither rhyme nor reason to what we’re seeing. Things are complicated further by mumbled lines and whispers between the actors, compounded by their British accents. It takes some time but finally a plot we can follow begins to unfold, and even without subtitles we manage to understand most of the dialogue. 
This is the story of an everlasting love, starring Colin Farrell as Peter Lake. A small-time burglar, Lake instantly falls in love with one of his intended victims, Beverly Penn, (played by Jessica Brown Findlay.) She is smitten as well, and the eternal flame is lit, but the road is filled with obstacles, not the least of which is her health, and Peter is always one step ahead of some kind of danger.
Early on in the story, we are introduced to spiritual forces, on the one side Satan (played convincingly by Will Smith) and his right-hand henchman Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe in one of his worst performances ever). For reasons we are never totally clear on, Soames is determined to rid the world of Lake and pursues him relentlessly. There are several challenging confrontations between them, and Peter’s survival is clearly ordained from above.
In the meantime, the love affair has a life of its own, and we only learn why the angels are protecting Peter as the story segues into the next century. At this point the story becomes a fantasy of sorts, leaving the viewer wondering what, when, where, and – most especially – why?
Despite an all–star cast, including William Hurt, Jennifer Connelly, and Eva Marie Saint in supporting roles, the script simply is not enough. In all fairness, there are some touching moments for the romantics, and the legion of demons will catch your at¬tention but do not merit enough for a recommendation.
Entertainment rating : 2.5 stars
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Rental recommendation:
“Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”
PG 13 (2011)
This movie flew under the radar but is great as an evening’s entertainment. Yemen, of course, is a Middle Eastern country, all desert. There are no lakes, rivers, streams, or for that matter, salmon. Not to worry. Sheikh Muhammed, who fell in love with Salmon fishing on a hiatus to Scotland, decides to remedy that little problem. Engaging the assistance of sev¬eral British experts, they tackle the insurmountable challenge. This one didn’t win any Oscars but earned a bevy of Golden Globes and People’s Choice awards. Stars Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt, this is a lot of fun to watch.
