Rating: 
Summary: one day my prince will come...
Review: Clive Owen electrifies the screen, as he always does, particularly in such passionate, intense roles like this one, in which he plays a relief worker/doctor. His devotion to his cause and willingness to undertake "renegade" operations in the name of his cause ignites a kind of passion in Sarah (Angelina Jolie), a socialite-cum-relief worker/activist. While losing herself (and her marriage) to the plights she sees in various parts of the world, she also falls in love with Owen's character. Unfortunately I think the seriousness of the issues with which these relief workers grapple would make a good enough story without this implausible love story thrown into the mix (reminds me of Titanic that way... the tragedy of the ship sinking would have been a good enough story, but filmmakers, I guess, don't trust that a story is good enough or emotionally gripping enough without ridiculous couples falling in love, so we have individuals to latch onto when the ending turns out unhappy). Naturally, this story, too, ends unhappily, as Jolie and Owen's characters go globetrotting and carrying on an affair of sorts.
Rating: 
Summary: Beyond Borders - A good but unfocused film!
Review: For quite some time now I've been more or less hooked on Angelina Jolie and her films and can definitely say with some authority that had this film not had her in it, it probably wouldn't have garnered much attention from the movie going public. Having said that, "Beyond Borders" is a good film, not spectacular or overwhelmingly poignant, just good! Given Angelina Jolie's personal passion towards helping children from third world nations it's easy to see why she chose to do this film. That personal passion does translate to the film however, the script in and of itself just doesn't translate into an overly impressive film.Performance wise, Angelina Jolie delivers another solid performance but she comes off as somewhat subdued for the better part of the film. She is such strong and versatile actress that her part in this film, despite a couple of strong points, just doesn't suit her talents. Clive Owen delivers a strong and memorable performance as does the majority of the cast. I believe the only other film I've watched that was directed by Martin Campbell was "The Mask of Zorro" which was a pretty good film. His direction of "Beyond Borders" clearly shows that he can make the best of the film despite a weak script. The Premise: Sarah Jordan (Angelina Jolie) is an American married to a Brit. At a fundraising gala, Nick Callahan (Clive Owen) crashes in dragging behind him a young Ethiopian and turns Sarah's world upside down as he delivers a strong speech about the suffering the Ethiopians are going through and haranguing her father-in-law about pulling his funding. Sarah soon finds herself taking every last penny she has and buying relief supplies to personally take to Ethiopia... What follows from there is a mildly poignant film in which Sarah and Nick carry on an odd relationship as she is unhappily married and he continues to follow his passion of relief work all over the globe... Without trying to sound too harsh, I would rate this film at 3.5 stars if it were possible as it is a good story it just doesn't live up to its billing or its leading actress. I would definitely recommend it but more as a rental than an actual purchase. {ssintrepid} Special Features: -Commentary by Director Martin Campbell and Producer Lloyd Phillips
-Behind the Lines: The Making of Beyond Borders, Part 1
-Behind the Lines: The Making of Beyond Borders, Part 2
-The Writing of "Beyond Borders:" A Conversation with Screenwriter Caspian Tredwell-Owen
-Angelina: Goodwill Ambassador
Rating:
Summary: Would be better if the film was more focused
Review: From it's troubled pre-production to it's schizophrenic storytelling, Beyond Borders has loads of promise but ultimately fails to deliver. Angelina Jolie plays an American woman living an unhappy marriage in London when she is drawn into humanitarian aid in various political hot spots by a very passionate doctor (Clive Owen, replacing original star Kevin Costner). The two end up having an affair (naturally) while helping out those in need, but the film's schizophrenic storytelling and lack of focus on one subject is where the film loses steam. The performances by Jolie and Owen are excellent and make the film worth watching, but the overly long running time and disappointing direction by Martin Campbell (Goldeneye, Mask of Zorro) ultimately drag the film along. Had Oliver Stone directed as he was originally set to, Beyond Borders could have been something special. It's still worth watching, just don't go in to it with high expectations.
Rating:
Summary: Love Story or Social Commentary?
Review: Generally speaking, I found Beyond Borders very entertaining. However, I felt it suffered very significantly from an inability to decide whether it's a love story or a piece of social commentary. In the end, both the romantic plot and the social commentary suffered. Clive Owen does, as per usual, does a spectacular job. And Angelina Jolie, as per usual, gives a more than adequate performance. The relationship between their characters, however, lacked heat I was expecting. From the perspective of the audience, their relationship also seemed to lack a bit of history. They went from barely knowing each other to being secretly in love. Perhaps some scenes were left on the cutting room floor or perhaps it was supposed to be "understood." Either way, it didn't work. The social commentary does get fairly heavy at times. However, with the love story struggling to maintain the interest of the audience, I can understand how some critics would feel that the movie trivializes the struggles of international relief workers. Overall, I would recommend this as simply an entertaining movie for a Friday night or an enjoyable piece for someone who lives either Clive Owen or Angelina Jolie. If you're looking for something beyond that, keep looking.
Rating:
Summary: Mixed reviews, good & bad
Review: Great chemistry between Angelina Jolie and Clive Owen.
Poor ending, I did not like the ending, it was too vague and made all her efforts for naught.
Mixed reviews on whether the "message" gets through. I found myself not really caring and getting frustrated with the doctor, Nick, for putting everyone in danger all the time. It was worth seeing if only for that incredible scene when Sara says "why don't you say my name?", and he explains. Clive Owen's performance was heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Clive Owen outdid himself; his actiing was stunning. I think I fell in love with him at that moment I was so deeply moved. Angelina should have squeaked out some tears. She stood there looking forced and confused. But the movie never again reaches that beautiful, deep touching moment. It never quite captures it again although you know they care. A terrible ending, a lot of physical chemistry, Owen & Jolie are amazing just to watch look at each other, but not a terrific love story. I ended up feeling sorry for the husband and children more than I felt any compassion for Sara and Nick. After all, Sara and Nick made their own choices. The husband and the poor children got stuck with the consequences. Sara's irresponsible actions got her kids nowhere.
Rating:
Summary: Mixed reviews, good & bad
Review: Great chemistry between Angelina Jolie and Clive Owen.
Poor ending, I did not like the ending, it was too vague and made all her efforts for naught.
Mixed reviews on whether the "message" gets through. I found myself not really caring and getting frustrated with the doctor, Nick, for putting everyone in danger all the time. It was worth seeing if only for that incredible scene when Sara says "why don't you say my name?", and he explains. Clive Owen's performance was heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Clive Owen outdid himself; his actiing was stunning. I think I fell in love with him at that moment I was so deeply moved. Angelina should have squeaked out some tears. She stood there looking forced and confused. But the movie never again reaches that beautiful, deep touching moment. It never quite captures it again although you know they care. A terrible ending, a lot of physical chemistry, Owen & Jolie are amazing just to watch look at each other, but not a terrific love story. I ended up feeling sorry for the husband and children more than I felt any compassion for Sara and Nick. After all, Sara and Nick made their own choices. The husband and the poor children got stuck with the consequences. Sara's irresponsible actions got her kids nowhere.
Rating: 
Summary: 'Beyond' Logic
Review: I admired the political messages of "Beyond Borders," but I can't say the same for the love story. It seemed out-of-place and forced. Sara (Angelina Jolie) was a troubled housewife who was deeply moved by a doctor's efforts to feed starving children in Ethiopia, Cambodia and Chechnya. She journeyed to those countries over a decade and eventually fell in love with the doctor (Clive Owen). The movie tried very hard to be a politically motivated film and I respect that. They should've left out the love story but kept the level of passion for their cause to rise throughout the movie. You don't know whether to feel for the characters in the end or the whole charade they went through to make a difference, to help. But, it's worth your time and it's a lot different than most movies.
Rating:
Summary: 'Beyond' Logic
Review: I admired the political messages of "Beyond Borders," but I can't say the same for the love story. It seemed out-of-place and forced. Sara (Angelina Jolie) was a troubled housewife who was deeply moved by a doctor's efforts to feed starving children in Ethiopia, Cambodia and Chechnya. She journeyed to those countries over a decade and eventually fell in love with the doctor (Clive Owen). The movie tried very hard to be a politically motivated film and I respect that. They should've left out the love story but kept the level of passion for their cause to rise throughout the movie. You don't know whether to feel for the characters in the end or the whole charade they went through to make a difference, to help. But, it's worth your time and it's a lot different than most movies.
Rating: 
Summary: Another bad movie from Paramount....
Review: I do not belive I have ever seen a more cliche or more poorly written film then this. Martin Campbell had no clue how to direct it and the script is full of problems that no one could have fixed. Jolie is one dimensional as a woman searching a stragne land for the man she loves (Owen) and when they are in scenes together, there is no chemistry between them except forced and unfocused dialoge (almost bordering on the same corny lines you would hear on a day time soap). End result is that this is a picture that was better off going straight to video.
Rating:
Summary: Better than it was given credit for.
Review: I thought this film was good. Clive and Angelina give strong performances and the ending was unpredicted. I liked the fact the Owen's character shows his constant frustration. Maybe it is because I have been to Africa and see what some of this looks like firsthand. The message about landmines was compelling as well.
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