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The problem? It would be easy to blame a lifeless script (poor woman and trapper have a romance, Cold Mountain style, while war rages around them), but the movie is outright sunk by its choice of leads. For some reason, the big names like Depardieu, Jacob, and Roth are relegated to mere cameos, and poor newcomers Noémie Godin-Vigneau (a rather plain and mousy type) and David La Haye (who kind of looks like that kid who ended up moving in with the family on Roseanne) are saddled with carrying an epic story (from war to accusations of witchcraft), a challenge which they can't possibly rise to. Their performances here are borderline embarrassing, and after less than an hour of this 2 1/2-hour bonanza, you'll be dying for Dion's inevitable closing number to take you away from it all. God, never thought I'd say that.
