Rating: 
Summary: Still in awe
Review: Although I have seen this film an amazing amount of times, I still sit in a daze when I see the love instantly between Peter and Rita. This movie keeps us believing that there really is a soulmate for each and everyone of us and that we will find that person, probably when we are least expecting it. The pain that Alec Bladwin is able to portray in pleading for this strange "Rita" to tell him where his soulmate is has made me a fan of his ever since.
Rating: 
Summary: Underrated Gem
Review: Baldwin and Ryan are at their most appealing in this heartfelt romantic gem. It's a profound, surprising story about embracing life, and it's one of the best-written movies in the genre I've ever seen. It was especially great that when the movie was in theaters, no critic gave away the plot device that turns the movie on its head at the end of the first act, so it was a beautiful surprise when it happened.
Rating: 
Summary: Not that good: 2 and 1/2 stars
Review: First off I must say that I'm a big Alec Baldwin and Meg Ryan fan. So when I discovered "Prelude to a Kiss" by accident at the rental store, I knew I had to check it out! Two of some of my favorite actors/actresses in one movie, in a romance movie no less! Well... all I can say is that I'm glad I only rented this movie instead of buying it.Peter Hoskins (Alec Baldwin) cannot pinpoint his attraction to Rita Boyle (Meg Ryan). She has a pessimistic view on life and she has many strange quirks, including never being able to sleep. And yet the two inevitably fall in love and it seems that Peter has found the perfect happiness when Rita agrees to marry him. Yet on their wedding day, a mysterious Old Man (Sydney Walker) comes to the wedding reception and wishing to kiss the bride, Rita allows him to. An innocent kiss, but it wasn't in the slightest. On their honeymoon, Peter cannot get rid of the feeling that Rita is NOT the Rita he knew. Outwardly she is the same, but Peter knows she really isn't. What has happened? "Prelude to a Kiss" is for one thing, NOT a romantic/comedy. It is a romance/drama/fantasy since it deals with many supernatural elements. Oh, and another thing, the story isn't really about the 'prelude' of 'a' kiss, it is the prelude AND aftermath of 'the' kiss. My biggest problem with the story is that it really doesn't seem to flow very well. The pace is slow, from the very beginning where you feel that it might pick up. Unfortunately though, the end is rather luke-warm and just doesn't have the power I expected it to have. Another problem is the sexual content. In my opinion, true love can be better expressed by the main characters NOT having sex. Come on, the best classic romance stories are those where the guy and the girl DON'T have to have sex to show their love and attraction for each other. It's true that the theme of love is pretty well handled. Before the wedding, the viewers cannot really see if they two main characters are really 'in love' per say. There is an attraction between the two, yet you're not sure if it's love. But after the wedding and the 'occurrence' happens, watchers can see that the two were meant for each other, for their love had passed a crucial test. The acting is pretty well done, mostly by Alec Baldwin. There is one VERY emotional scene where his character faces the 'fake' Rita and cries straight from his heart for the other to tell him where Rita is. It was an extremely well done and powerful scene, you couldn't help but cry out together with Peter. That has got to be one of the best acting scenes done by Alec Baldwin in my opinion. Meg Ryan is also good as a slightly neurotic and flighty woman who finds love in steady and straigh-forward Peter. She still walks funny though... Anyway, "Prelude to a Kiss" is a very mediocre film. Should be watched for die-hard Baldwin and Ryan fans. But if not, the movie can be easily passed over for some better romance classics. Some Baldiwn or Ryan movie recommendations are
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites
Review: I find myself frequently listening to this CD. It's a good thing I don't have it on cassette, because I would have worn it out by now. From the score selections to the classic songs, there isn't one track on it that I don't like. While you hear the music, you can watch the movie in your head (if you've seen it as many times as I have). Listen to Annie Lennox and watch Peter and Rita talk about her insomnia and have their first kiss. While Cowboy Junkies sing Sweet Jane, the lovers devour Fruit Loops and talk about kids. As mentioned in the previous review, Deborah Harry does a wonderful job with the title track. I don't know one person who doesn't like the Divinyls classic, even if they won't publically admit it. :) If you love the movie, this is a must-have CD for your collection!
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites
Review: I find myself frequently listening to this CD. It's a good thing I don't have it on cassette, because I would have worn it out by now. From the score selections to the classic songs, there isn't one track on it that I don't like. While you hear the music, you can watch the movie in your head (if you've seen it as many times as I have). Listen to Annie Lennox and watch Peter and Rita talk about her insomnia and have their first kiss. While Cowboy Junkies sing Sweet Jane, the lovers devour Fruit Loops and talk about kids. As mentioned in the previous review, Deborah Harry does a wonderful job with the title track. I don't know one person who doesn't like the Divinyls classic, even if they won't publically admit it. :) If you love the movie, this is a must-have CD for your collection!
Rating:
Summary: Do Not Share This Movie With Just Anyone!
Review: I have shared this movie with quite a few people and no one gets it. As soon as I find a woman who understands the beauty of the love between Peter and Rita, I will marry her. I've never heard anyone sing "Every Time We Say Goodbye" better than Annie Lennox. And Deborah Harry's voice on the rest of the soundtrack is so comforting. Not many people know this, but this is my favorite movie.
Rating:
Summary: a great fantasy
Review: I really like this movie because it is not the "typical Meg Ryan movie". It does not have her acting cutesy and adorable. It was not to see her play someone that is very different from the characters that she normally plays. I also liked the old man. He really had the Meg Ryan mannerisms down pact! :-)
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable romantic comedy with a touch of magic
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Meg Ryan and Alec Baldwin in this- it's cute and romantic, with a magical twist. If you liked Tom Hank's "Big" and Sleepless in Seatle you'll like this.
Rating:
Summary: Actually it's mostly the aftermath
Review: I tried to watch this, I really did. I mean, Meg is adorable and Alec has nice hair on his chest. But I just couldn't get interested. I mean, Meg is cute and kinky (kinky in a nice way of course) and she sincerely worries about bringing children into this troubled world, and Alec's character has had a troubled youth. So their characters have depth, I'm sure. And he meets her parents and gets warm with her mom and watches dear old dad's embarrassing antics with his dog tattoos, and they drink beer out of the bottle and you know it's going to be true love and all that. But somehow I didn't feel any chemistry between them. I mean how would Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn play this? (Would they play it?) How about Tony Randall and Jack Klugman? What the hey, how about Abbott and Costello? And then I saw the old guy who was going to kiss her (I knew the premise) and I didn't want to see THAT. He (Sydney Walker) gets on a train at random and goes to a random destination and is fated to arrive at their wedding at exactly the right time, etc. Anyway, after a while I figured it was probably just me. After all, this is Meg Ryan who is adorable and can still play ingenue types at forty-something (she was only 31 when this was released), not to mention that this is adapted from a hit Broadway show of the same name from playwright Craig Lucas. And I guess I should add that Kathy Bates, who is a fine, fine, underrated actress (how I loved her in the film version of Stephen King's Misery 1990; boy wasn't she a nasty), is going to have a part. (Turned out to be a small part.) But still, let's face it, I'm just not the right guy to fully appreciate such a film. But then, recalling that I am an intrepid reviewer and realizing I have an obligation to my public who need to see cutesy movies trashed--that, and noticing that today's rerun of Seinfeld is one I've seen three times--I flicked the VCR back on and tried to watch with my eyes closed. That didn't work, so I tried it with the sound off. I thought it might be interesting to try and guess what they were doing by just watching. (You can observe a whole lot by just watching, I've been told. In fact, Yogi told me that.) Then I decided I better turn the sound back on because I knew that this kiss by an old man is going to turn the bride into somebody with the mind of the old man or something like that, and I had better catch what's going on. Okay I'm still hanging in there and this is actually getting good. No, I mean it. Meg is now an old man (in her soul) and they're in Jamaica and she's dressing old man weird and loving life and Alec is wondering what happened to the woman he married. I won't say any more except that Meg handles her new persona rather well, and Alec is very professional. Still I have to warn you that it gets syrupy at the end and there's a deep layer of what it means to be in love with someone over and above their sexuality--and that's good. However what really bothered me about this movie was that Meg Ryan was too skinny. She needs to quit stressing and relax a little, have some chocolate mousse and realize it's okay to be thirty-something then and forty-something now.
Rating:
Summary: Actually it's mostly the aftermath
Review: I tried to watch this, I really did. I mean, Meg is adorable and Alec has nice hair on his chest. But I just couldn't get interested. I mean, Meg is cute and kinky (kinky in a nice way of course) and she sincerely worries about bringing children into this troubled world, and Alec's character has had a troubled youth. So their characters have depth, I'm sure. And he meets her parents and gets warm with her mom and watches dear old dad's embarrassing antics with his dog tattoos, and they drink beer out of the bottle and you know it's going to be true love and all that. But somehow I didn't feel any chemistry between them. I mean how would Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn play this? (Would they play it?) How about Tony Randall and Jack Klugman? What the hey, how about Abbott and Costello? And then I saw the old guy who was going to kiss her (I knew the premise) and I didn't want to see THAT. He (Sydney Walker) gets on a train at random and goes to a random destination and is fated to arrive at their wedding at exactly the right time, etc. Anyway, after a while I figured it was probably just me. After all, this is Meg Ryan who is adorable and can still play ingenue types at forty-something (she was only 31 when this was released), not to mention that this is adapted from a hit Broadway show of the same name from playwright Craig Lucas. And I guess I should add that Kathy Bates, who is a fine, fine, underrated actress (how I loved her in the film version of Stephen King's Misery 1990; boy wasn't she a nasty), is going to have a part. (Turned out to be a small part.) But still, let's face it, I'm just not the right guy to fully appreciate such a film. But then, recalling that I am an intrepid reviewer and realizing I have an obligation to my public who need to see cutesy movies trashed--that, and noticing that today's rerun of Seinfeld is one I've seen three times--I flicked the VCR back on and tried to watch with my eyes closed. That didn't work, so I tried it with the sound off. I thought it might be interesting to try and guess what they were doing by just watching. (You can observe a whole lot by just watching, I've been told. In fact, Yogi told me that.) Then I decided I better turn the sound back on because I knew that this kiss by an old man is going to turn the bride into somebody with the mind of the old man or something like that, and I had better catch what's going on. Okay I'm still hanging in there and this is actually getting good. No, I mean it. Meg is now an old man (in her soul) and they're in Jamaica and she's dressing old man weird and loving life and Alec is wondering what happened to the woman he married. I won't say any more except that Meg handles her new persona rather well, and Alec is very professional. Still I have to warn you that it gets syrupy at the end and there's a deep layer of what it means to be in love with someone over and above their sexuality--and that's good. However what really bothered me about this movie was that Meg Ryan was too skinny. She needs to quit stressing and relax a little, have some chocolate mousse and realize it's okay to be thirty-something then and forty-something now.
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