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I think we have some of Frodo's weariness, but he is not weary yet... That will come later... Right now he is still struggling.

I am not sure why they had to be taken to Osgoliath yet.

And I really do think that Gollum was too close to the audience. He could have been more effective if he was cringing away from us, too. I can understand that they were very proud of their creation, but the extreme closeups might be better when he is at home, at a more reasonable size. He was really big.

But, we have to disagree a bit on the elven cloak scene. I wrinkled my nose. It was important, but might have been more believable if the Easterling was 10 or 20 feet off... not right on top of them... and maybe they shouldn't have shown them looking like a rock.... if nothing were there, I might not have wrinkled my nose....

It is funny the things we think are unbelievable. Talking trees are OK.... cloaks that make you look like a rock... not. HA!

I'm assuming that going to Osgiliath was necessary to "explain" the fall of Osgiliath and also deal with the issue of Faramir letting Frodo, Sam and Gollum go. The fall of Osgiliath was simply combined with the Faramir's dilemma over them. Another thing that accomplished was to show the threat Sauron posed to Gondor and to explain why Gondor would not come to Theoden's aid. It pointed out how Gondor and Rohan are cut off from each other, with Theoden being under Saruman's control and Denethor being influenced by Sauron, it made it easy for Saruman and Sauron to work together to "divide and conquer."

With Osgiliath taking place in TTT, we won't have to explain what happened to it in ROtK. Perhaps, also, it is to set up a conflict later on between Faramir and Denethor--after all, not only did he let the ring of power leave, he also couldn't prevent the fall of Osgiliath and had to retreat.

I also have a feeling Osgiliath and Frodo being drawn to the Nazgul was in place of the Minas Morgul scene where Sam and Gollum have to drag him back from going into the city.