"Original Sin" starts with an improbable premise: that a wealthy man would venture to marry a woman he had never met and a beautiful woman would agree to marry a man she had never met. When we first meet Luis Vargas (Antonio Banderas) and Julia Russell (Angelina Jolie), there is the inescapable feeling that neither would have trouble finding a mate. We are half correct.
This story has a number of twists in it, twists that I won't divulge so that the viewer's journey is more enjoyable.
Luis owns a coffee plantation in Cuba. He falls in love with Julia. Their lives seem idyllic until the young woman disappears. The romance now becomes a mystery. In his efforts to discover what happened to Julia, Luis crosses paths with those of the lower social strata, shall we say, and his love propels him to make choices that he never would have dreamed of in his pre-Julia days.
Along the way, the story of "Original Sin" takes a turn near "Vertigo" then continues on its winding way into unforeseen areas. The plot involves mistaken identities, a few red herrings, and some major grifting. In the end, all the piece of this puzzle come together, leaving us with a tale about love, faith and, maybe, redemption.
The entire journey is lovingly filmed in some beautiful Mexican settings. The two lovers are beautiful in their own rights and the camera dwells on their images as part of the lush environs. But Banderas and Jolie are more than pretty faces; their acting is convincing. For the most part, the other actors also feel like they inhabit the places and times of "Original Sin".
Anything more I might say about this film could reveal some plot lines, so I will just say I give it a score of 7 out of 10.
This story has a number of twists in it, twists that I won't divulge so that the viewer's journey is more enjoyable.
Luis owns a coffee plantation in Cuba. He falls in love with Julia. Their lives seem idyllic until the young woman disappears. The romance now becomes a mystery. In his efforts to discover what happened to Julia, Luis crosses paths with those of the lower social strata, shall we say, and his love propels him to make choices that he never would have dreamed of in his pre-Julia days.
Along the way, the story of "Original Sin" takes a turn near "Vertigo" then continues on its winding way into unforeseen areas. The plot involves mistaken identities, a few red herrings, and some major grifting. In the end, all the piece of this puzzle come together, leaving us with a tale about love, faith and, maybe, redemption.
The entire journey is lovingly filmed in some beautiful Mexican settings. The two lovers are beautiful in their own rights and the camera dwells on their images as part of the lush environs. But Banderas and Jolie are more than pretty faces; their acting is convincing. For the most part, the other actors also feel like they inhabit the places and times of "Original Sin".
Anything more I might say about this film could reveal some plot lines, so I will just say I give it a score of 7 out of 10.