In Love and War (1996) - Movie Review
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Chris O'Donnel delivers one of his better roles as Ernest Hemingway, and Sandra Bullock is Agnes. Bullock has the look for the part but she seems a little emotionless for the part, and it becomes ever more clear as the movie goes on. The chemistry really never flies between either of the actors, which might deter some people from this otherwise great romance.
My main and only real problem with the film is that the point-of-view fluctuates poorly. Sometimes the movie seems that it is from Hemingway's point of view, and other times from Kurowsky's. The fact is is that In Love and War is based on the nurse's diaries, yet it is Hemingway's feelings that we are always exposed to first. The emotions are never revealed about Kurowsky as the scenes go on. It seems to me that since she is supposed to be the starring character that she should be the one dealing with Hemingway, not the other way around.
Still, the romance progresses fairly well and climaxes at a pretty good scene near the end. If you know a lot about Hemingway then the final moments won't be quite as tense (trying to figure out whether they will get back together or go their separate ways), but I was impressed by how the movie goes. Of course, the film is directed by Richard Attenborough, the guy who did Ghandi, so that already helps.
The war elements of the film are short to say the least but well proportioned to the more important story, the love story.
In Love and War is a good movie but no sparks fly on the screen between the two main characters.
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Anonymous says:
March 28, 2004I disagree with the first reviewer. I felt that you do witness the emotions of Agnes. Yes, the point of view does change throughout the film, however it doesn't detract from it's overall effect. I had now seen the movie since it's release in 1997 and saw it again on cable TV this weekend and loved it even more. I now have a renewed interest in rereading "A Farewell To Arms" which I had not even considered doing since I had to read the novel in English 201 in college.
Anonymous says:
March 12, 2004I thoroughly enjoyed this film and was amazed at the cast and crew's ability to capture a young Hemingway's inner turmoil of his two most distant extremes: love, at the one end, and war at the other. Both entities pulled at O'Donnell's Hemmingway and his deep conscience and youthful trappings of love. Now, a question for anyone who might have ben associated with the production of this film, particularly a ballroom dance scene in what is likely turn-of-the-century Europe: in this beautiful scene, O'Donnell and Bullock dance briefly in a magnificent, opulent ballroom. The room itself is adorned by several crystal chandeliers, which are identical in every detail to one which I have in my home, "White Pillars", an estate home on Cape Cod constructed in 1839. I have been told that the chandelier is an original, manufactured in the very late 1700's in Europe, perhap in Italy. Can anyone help? Thank You - E. Baker Garbiss207@aol.com
Anonymous says:
March 2, 2004This is on of my favorite movies of all time. The love story is incredible!