An Unfinished Life review

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An A-list cast and Oscar-nominated director, Lasse Hallström, are upstaged by a bear in this mawkish weepie about an abused wife, Jean (Jennifer Lopez), who seeks refuge with her gruff father-in-law, Einar (Robert Redford), on his Wyoming homestead. Both come with baggage: she's the mother of a precocious 11-year-old, he the guilty guardian of an ageing ranch-hand (Morgan Freeman).

Throw in Einar's dead son to unite them and there's a lot of demons to be exorcised before anybody can enjoy the scenery. Shot more than three years ago, Hallström's soapy yawn-fest only saw the light of day in the US as part of Miramax's post-Disney clearout. That it's arrived on our shores does no one any credit, with the notable exception of Bart the Bear - the only cast member to deliver anything resembling an affecting performance.

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