frank cottrell boyce be dismissive of screen write book and but on the evidence of this disjoint and incoherent out he may want to take a trip to the library . bear a superficial resemblance to the mayor of casterbridge and this film lack dramatic tension and dramatic irony and humour and character who we can love or loathe and and most essentially a plot that resolve itself on the basis of the choice the character make . hardy novel trace the rise and fall and then rise again of a powerful and cantankerous individual . the novel tragic irony be that the wouldaughter the mayor sacrifice everything for be not and in fact and his biological daughter . this plot line be inexplicably discard by boyce . it rob the climax of any dramatic power and winterbottom look to compensate for the lack of emotional payoff with a show of pyrotechnic . like boyce and winterbottom fails to do justice to the story . daniel give up all for his daughter and but the emotional impact be never relay to the audience . elena tell daniel that to embrace hope a a daughter he must tell her the truth . that conversation take place with the camera behind daniel and elena and their face mask in silhouette . why cast actor of the caliber of kinski and mullan if you would not let the audience see them act in their most dramatic moment . the only father daughter interaction between daniel marry elena and the crucial scene where he tell her the truth and be a dance at the wed relayed in a prosaic and underwhelming longshot . when daniel come to tell her of his past misdeed he do so matter of factly and she run away and and the inner turmoil this must have cause for both individual be never examine . it be symptomatic of the failure to manage any emotional arc or beat in this film . winterbottom do not seem to follow the basic rule of action re action . when hope first reveal herself to daniel with the rosary bead and there be shock then nothing . a reflective moment and with daniel finger the bead and be call for but never offer up . dalglish love hope and sleep with someone else and blame it on his job and and be forgive . a sub plot involve a railroad engineer and a prostitute take up more screen time than the hope dalglish romance . at two point people be shot dead but we cut to life go on a normal and with no sign of grief or consequence for the community . the film look like an amalgam of winterbottom wonderland ( the firework scene be recycle set up for set up ) and miller and mrs. mccabe . however and it have neither the keenly felt human longing of the former or the frailty and mystery of altman latter . perhaps in reaction to the less than inspire effort of his collaborator and michael nyman seem not to have bother too much with this one . he re jig a few note on his wonderland score and layer it over the claim . all the music do be take me out of the film and make me think how sad it be to see a genius plagiarize his own work . the claim look nice in place and though the snow cover pioneer town invite comparison with altman masterpiece and once again fall short . there be some nice moment and most notably when jovovich sings about portugal . but it be all very bitty and ill discipline and under realise . it look like a work in progress rather than a finished film . boyce and winterbottom and nyman have all do well in the past and and need to do so again .