In Love and War

Rating:
Summary: The critics were terribly mistaken!!!
Review: This movie lacked truly experienced actors in serious, and romantic roles. Sure Chris and Sandra have starred in romantic movies, but they are unoriginal, and just like the next. Chris O'Donnell was the last person who should have been picked for the role of such a noteworthy and distinguished American author. This movie puts Ernest Hemmingway to shame. Which is a complete disaster. Where was the build-up of true love? This movie bounced from one scene to the next, without ever convincing me Agnes and Ernest were truly in love. This movie did not deserve the accolades it received from the critics. It has the potential to be excellent, if there were different actors in the roles of Agnes and Ernest. It had the potential to be good if it hadn't been so "Hollywood-ized." If you're interested in Ernest Hemmingway's life, read "A Farewell to Arms." It's far better.

Rating:
Summary: It was a wonderfully acted and moving film.
Review: This was definitely a movie made for romantics. I loved it and would recommend it to all. The actors did a wonderful job of portraying this movie based on a real life story. Everyone should see this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Waste Your Time!!
Review: This was the worst movie I have ever seen. I personally would not make my worst enemy watch this.

Rating:
Summary: 5 stars, were it at all true..
Review: Very charming, but only a Hollywood concoction that 'rewrites' history, a totally invented concoction. Why do I say this? After seeing the film in 8/97 (just after visiting the War Museum in the Isonzo Valley in Kobarid, Slovenia) I went to the library and checked several out books on Hemingway's life. The film is false, except that Hemingway was a Red Cross volunteer in the Piave Valley and was accidentally wounded there. A product of Teddy Roosevelt's era, he went home to Illinois and walked around his neighborhood wearing an Italian officer's cape that he'd bought. One was supposed to be brave, and survive as a winner. One nice thing about the film: shots of Vittorio Veneto (more accurately, the old city known as Seravalle before the end of WWI) which is beautiful and is not recommended in tourist guide books. My wife and I spent 2 of the best days of our month-long Wanderung over the Alps in this region in '89. Finally, Hemingway himself was not Hollywood-style-sloppy: according to the books I consulted, he wrote so accurately historically and geographically that some Italian historians believed he'd been in the Isonzo Valley in the Slovenian Alps where the worst fighting of WWI between Italians and Austrians took place. He never visited the region. Frankly, it's a crime to let Hollywood teach 'history' under the guise of reckless, careless, entertainment. Also, for those who believe that war os glorious, I strongly recommend the War Museum (photos of men with half-shot-away faces, and worse).

Rating:
Summary: A moving story
Review: When I first saw this film I did not know what to expect, the film was astounding. Chris O'Donnell as 'the kid' played his character with the exact charm that stood out from the other soldiers. I thought he was portrayed as 'standing out from the rest' hence the man himself became one of the greatest writers of the century. Sandra Bullock played her role with grace and charm. She tried to resist young Ernie but the chemistry and feeling between the two could not be avoided. The ending is sad but it does make the film what it is. It should be critically acclaimed and it was a shame it was slated by the critics as it's such a good movie.

Rating:
Summary: Sadest Story ever
Review: When I watched this movie, I cried my eyes out. I thaught it was a very sad movie. I don't know if this really happend in his life anf if it did it's even sadder now. I believe that Saundra Bullock is great in this movie and in all her movies. I wouldn't hesitate once to go and watch one of her movies. O'donnell on the other hand, since I haven't seen much of his movies I would watch his movie if it looked interesting. I think he played Ernest's role very well and he was the right actor to play that role because he is suppost to be younger than Agnes.

Rating:
Summary: Just not enthralling enough to keep the interest of viewers.
Review: While watching In Love and War, one will most surely get up many times and leave the room to do something else, preferably something tie consuming. A no-no by many accounts, the attempt by Richard Attenborough to recount the story of Ernest Hemingway and his love affair with a WWI nurse starts as something promising. Yet, the promise is broken in the first four minutes, and the viewer is left to dwindle among the every-so-long plot, which seems to have no sense of balance. While the movie may be accurate as far as the real story goes, it is certainly not entertaining enough. The actors do what they can to contribute emotion and gumption into their characters, yet this, along with well-designed sets and scenery, is not enough to give moviegoers what they want. Only for solid fans of Bullock and/or O'Donnell, and no one else.

Rating:
Summary: A romantic/emotional roller coaster
Review: Why some have condemned this movie for the lack of story line, I praise what factual information they were able to find although there was never any final meeting between Hemmingway and Agnes. All correspondence was done through letters between them after Hemmingway went home from the war and little is known of the letters Hemmingway wrote Angus since a later boyfriend of Angus destroyed all of Hemmingway's letters in a jealous rage. If there was in final face to face meeting, both their lives may have very different. More than likely the two would have continued far different lives together. Hemmingway may have never gone on to become the great writer he was and Agnes would have never continued her nursing career that she seemed much more married to, or a European whirlwind romance may have faded into the first of the many failed marriages Hemmingway went through.

Although a bit contrived from reality; the story line does make an impact emotionally.

In my opinion though Sir Richard Attenborough should have had his lead actors at least read A Farewell to Arms before attempting their roles. It might have helped out with acting that was a little flat and emotionless at times like they didn't have enough material on the original characters and were trying to ad lib. Still it's very much worthwhile watching this sometimes fictional account of a young Hemmingway and his first and lost love.