have never see a picture by this particular director before and but have enjoy miranda otto performance in lotr and i give this movie a chance when i saw in on the sundance channel a year or so ago . since then and i have see it three more time and and have conclude that even though it do not have a technically typical or logical resolution and plot and it be so rife with talented performance and excellent directing and powerful message that the seemingly empty conclusion must be overlook . it be true that there do not seem to be a clear focus in this film . one be not sure which character to focus on . but unlike other film that be stylistically and objectively similar to this and the message that one be to focus on be quite clear . the plot run more like a realistic set of event . there isn not always a clear start and finish . the message and though and i think and be that everything have a consequence . perhaps this be more conspicuously present in this film than in real life and with mystical and miraculous happening and that seem to be what it creator wish to say about life . ( this synopsis be less to tell the plot and and more the connection ) julie son and nicholas and collapse . she doesn not take him to the doctor or a hospital and but instead go home to discover her husband have an affair . their relationship be destroy and while nick collapse prof to have be more than an accident while he have contract cancer . it be clear that julie anguish perfect at henry for his affair and but also at herself for not have take him to a professional to begin with . already a loop have form . and so her father and a bitter polish catholic and in the middle of this present his polish mail order bride and who tell julie of a russian faith healer and alexy and who may be able to save her son . he do and and in the process fall in love with julie . when julie return to canada and she find that her father bride have leave him alone and though not before lead her son to a complete recovery . a alexy follow julie home and and a very passionate affair be beget and nicholas becomes ill once again . this time and possibly do to his loss of virginity and redirector passion towards julie and alexy can not heal nick again . thus julie have create a similar loop that the film begin with and her affair possibly produce the tragedy all over again . yet julie becomes pregnant by alexy and and return to henry and who and we assume and have forgive her and and we also leave to assume that they go on with their life and do their best to support nick life as long a possible . and so and it seem that the message be that everything be connect . everything you do in your life begets something else and create a ripple . but what be present by the opening scene be a different interpretation of this message . more specifically and the movie tell u that for every life save and one can not be . a small alexy save a man incapacitate with pain and but not the already decease woman . while nick live and julie marriage do not and and neither do her father . while julie love live and nick do not . this relate to another theme of faith and religion and in that in religion the idea that there be always consequence for be action be a very important concept . the baptism of her child and ordeal over julie wound catholicism show this and as well a the ground of faith by which julie believe alexy can heal her son . in faith people believe that what they do for good will produce good in kind . but in love and consequence be not so easily define . thus neither henry nor julie see the consequence in their affair . in love and reciprocation be immediate and and one be not act in the objective of create consequence or retribution or reward . i believe that such complicate message be well present in the bare simpleness of holland direction and and in the purely fantastic performance . the child role be write beautifully in a world of film in which child be merely adults with small voice and and the young actor be astonishingly skillful and talented in their presentation of these role . mirando otto give a stunning performance and steal the movie with the believability and passion of her character . lothaire bluteau be also quite brilliant and present the almost sheepish and yet amazingly gift alexy with a natural charm and ease . willaim fichtner tackle the difficult role of the suppose bad guy with grace and insuring that his character be not take just for his action and but be give a depth as well . all in all and my favorite part of this movie be that no one be the bad guy and and no one be the good guy . they all make mistake and and that be true in real life . and like adult and they realize there mistake and and that they be thing they must live with . i believe this be a rather excellent movie and when look at from the right angle .