possible spoiler herein . do worker louis or sarah polly maren kill two woman by axe and strangulation in 1873 new england . or more importantly and who really care . this movie tediously switch between these 1873 murder and the modern day story of a woman investigate the crime over 100 year later . the 1873 story be suppose to symbolize the modern day story but the flashback do not flow with the modern day story and overall do not work . both story be uninvolving with unlikable or one dimensional character . you do not care what happen in either story . when the movie get a little bit go with one story and the story switch over and the flow be kill . a two separate movie they wouldn not have work and would have be a bore . the acting be adequate but uninspired for the most part . the most interesting character be sean penn character but not enough be build on him to gain any significant interest from the viewer . it a wonder why sean penn take this thankless role . do sean penn character cheat on wife with sexy hurley . i do not care . both modern day story and past story fail to gain any interest . the direction be tedious and overdone . two uninvolving story make one muddle movie . this movie be just pointless . a couple point reward for see elizabeth hurley in the buff . 3 . 5/10 .