i want to like this film and and certainly there be room for a psychological character drive movie which doesn not go for the cheap thrill . yet and for the enjoyment of a movie and one require a believable plot and some pacing and editing and and a feeling of involvement . in the clearing and what start out a an intriguing mystery and with a kidnapping and unknown motif and turn into a slow draggy pointless exercise . nothing much really happen and and the so called character drive angle ( a express by the director in his commentary ) really do not add up to much . fine actor be waste here . robert redford do his best try to engage and outwit willem dafoe . dafoe bring a bit of nuance to his character and insofar a one can feel somewhat sympathetic towards him . it unfortunate that dafoe have be typecast a a villain and he go into the christopher walken hall of fame of typecast . wendy crewson be usually good but her character entry into the movie be brief and contrive and and i be wonder why they even bother to introduce her character . by far the big waste of talent be helen mirren . in the director commentary and all i heard be how fabulous a talent she be . i agree and she a great actress . then why be she not use properly . only towards the climax of this movie do she get to show herself and but by then the viewer have quit caring . too bad and i like part of this movie and but a another reviewer write and once youre halfway in you know the film be not go to get much good .