I watched this several years ago and do not remember being impressed. I just now revisited it to ensure I didn't miss anything. Well, it's not much. The character of the lead is curious, with its great innocence and kindness, until over halfway through the movie when he displays jealousy. It's not a good performance, but more a half-comic one. The more interesting one is that by Julianne Moore, who is more desirable here than elsewhere (if memory serves well).
The violence feels forced. Also, some extended sequences, e.g. the shitty fire-cracker scene, help make the movie overly long, at over 150 minutes. The whole exercise feels pointless, and is way overrated.