A Walk in the Clouds

Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Romantic Movie.
Review: There are those who may attack "A Walk In The Clouds" for the fantasy-like nature of it's storytelling, for the dreamy quality it creates, for simply being, well, unreal. But do most people honestly go to the movies for depressingly real reminders of how cynical and sad the world is? Of course not! We go to the movies for escape, hoping the film we are about to view will pluck our hearts or exhilarate us. "A Walk In The Clouds" is a beautifully-done film, the kind that lets us escape and dream, fantasize and smile. It looks gorgeous, director Alfonso Arau films in a landscape that seems more like a painting than a real place. The story is basically a modern fairy tale that takes place in a California vineyard soon after WW2. It seems so unreal, but real at the same time because it basically crystalizes that which we call "romance." There are sequences of great beauty, as when the vineyard occupants try to heat frozen vines with giant butterfly-like wings or a scene where grapes are crushed by dancing. These scenes are fun and enticing, but also hypnotic, especially with Maurice Jarre's soaring music which sounds like classic Mexican flavors decorated with orchestral elegance. Okay, so maybe some us find the realities of our world a little too gloomy to ever believe in this kind of hokey romantic stuff, but why can't we hope for an instant? "A Walk In The Clouds" gives us hope, it entertains, it tells a good story. Corny applies more to those who attack the film, they obviously have sour, boring minds and wouldn't know a romantic idea even if it kissed them right in the lips. Here Arau presents us a masterpiece, a great movie and a truly romantic work of art.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful romance
Review: People often seem eager to criticize Keanu Reeves' acting and give negative reviews of his films unless they are action driven. This film was not a huge box office smash but its one of my favorite films with Reeves. The story is an old fashioned romance set against the Napa Valley wine country of Southern California at the end of World War II. Alfonso Arau, who also directed the great film "Like Water for Chocolate" uses lush colors, deep and rich, to convey the passion and sensuality, perfectly complimenting the storyline. Keanu Reeves and Aitana Sanchez Gijon make a beautiful couple and the scenes, such as one where the entire family and workers wear wings to fan warmth on the crops to ward off frost, is like something out of a dream. The music is beautiful and though the ending is a bit of let down, the story is very romantic and a must have for anyone who likes an old fashioned romance.

Rating:
Summary: This movie gives me goosebumps every time!
Review: Now, admittedly, I don't think Keanu Reeves is that great of an actor. He's cute, he seems sweet, and is definitely watchable in most things. But in this movie, he shines. I don't know what it is about this movie, but it brings out the sensual side of Keanu. His normally stiff acting softens up and he seems to really revel in this role.

The scene where he and Aitana Sanchez-Gijon embrace after the stomping the grapes...oh, that scene grabs my heart every time!

The scenery in this film is gorgeous and makes you want to romp through a California vineyard!

I highly recommend this film for anyone looking for a great romance.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful old fashioned romance
Review: Why are all the professional critics so harsh with this movie? Are they so cynical they can't appreciate a good old fashioned story that is well told, beautifully photographed, and featuring wonderful performances, especially by Anthony Quinn and Giancarlo Giannini. And let's not forget the stunningly beautiful Aitana Sanchez-Gijon as the heroine! Even the much maligned acting of Keanu Reeves gets a break in this one: he does a fine job of portraying a decent, caring young man who finds himself falling in love and not knowing what to do about an impossible situation. His scene in the moonlight as he serenades his lady love is pure poetry, and the same must be said for the scene in the vinyard as the workers, including Keanu and Aitana, wield "butterfly wings" to ward off the killing frost. Sure, there are "corny" elements in the story, at least by today's standards, but the charm of the entire movie transends its faults. Let's stop being cynics for a while and enjoy a movie about decent, caring people. Seldom has any romantic movie looked this good! Now, get this gem on DVD and soon (and please: WIDESCREEN with stereo to show off the luscious cinematography and beaufiful music score)!

Rating:
Summary: How can anyone say this guy is wooden?!
Review: If I'm going to be sexist, and sterotype every guy under the moon, then no guy can show emotion. (Boy, I'm gonna pay for that!) So I don't see why so many people label Keanu Reeves as being "wooden". OK, so he's not well-known for the romantic movies (unlike a Mr Grant), he's normally disabling bombs, or trying to figure out whether he is The One.

This film is definitely one of his best. Everyone else has gone through the storyline on this, so I won't! I will say Keanu looks great in a uniform, and does what Bruce Willis for little white vests - yummy!

The scenery is absolutely breath-taking in this movie, as is Keanu - OK, sorry, I had to slip that in!!!

A pre-Will & Grace Debra Messing stars in this, as Paul's wife, Betty. During a friendly game of hockey with his friends during spare time, Keanu's lip was split, requiring six stitches (which must have been a pain for the director), and a kiss from Debra Messing in a scene, he had to tell her not to hurt him!

Aitana Sánchez-Gijón plays the beautiful Victoria Aragón, although there's several unnoticed continuity problems, as her hair seems to go from wavy to straight every couple of scenes! This is her first mainstream, and she hasn't appeared in a lot of other mainstream movies. Anthony Quinn also stars, as the interfering grandfather, Don Pedro Aragón, who almost seems to know that the couple aren't really married, which takes a while for the rest of the family to figure out.

This is a terrific romance, a lot better than anything that features the ubiquitous Mr Grant. And definitely a must, if you had a bit of a lonely Valentine's Day. Who says romance is dead?

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully Filmed, But It Needed a Lighter Touch
Review: A WALK IN THE CLOUDS was directed by Alfonso Arau with cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki. These same two people worked on the magical film, LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, so I expected to see some of that same magic in A WALK IN THE CLOUDS. And, I did. But only some.

A WALK IN THE CLOUDS is the story of Paul Sutton (Keanu Reeves) who marries quickly, right before leaving for Europe and WWII. When he comes home, to 1945 San Francisco, he finds his wife less than overjoyed to see him. Used to being alone (but hating it), Paul doesn't stick around and takes the train to Sacramento, instead. There he meets the beautiful-but-pregnant-and-unmarried Victoria Aragon (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon). Victoria comes from an old, aristocratic Mexican family and she's terrified of what their reaction will be to her pregnancy. Paul, smitten with her beauty and her charm (and just being an all round good guy, too) offers to "pretend" to be her husband for one day and then abandon her. Victoria and Paul agree that this is the best road to follow, especially where Victoria's stern and traditional father, Alberto Aragon (Giancarlo Giannini) is concerned. Of course, the inevitable happens and Paul and Victoria really do fall in love.

When Paul and Victoria arrive at Victoria's family's vineyard, Alberto dislikes Paul from the start. Paul is simply not aristocratic enough or moneyed enough or traditional enough to suit Alberto, although Paul does have more luck with Victoria's grandfather, Don Pedro (Anthony Quinn), who is a kinder and more accepting man than is Alberto.

A WALK IN THE CLOUDS begins well, and, in the beginning, it does contain some magic, but, for me, at least, it simply wasn't able to sustain that magic until the final credits. The writers handled the magical first half of the film with a very light touch, something this film, with its touches of fantasy, definitely needed. During the second half, however, they let the film slip into melodrama and silliness and the ending, for me, wasn't at all satisfying.

I think Keanu Reeves as Paul, a man searching for his place in the world, was woefully miscast. He was wooden, even during his love scenes with the very pretty Aitana Sanchez-Gijon (who is far better known in Spain). Sanchez-Gijon's performance lost some of its luster simply because she had to play off the very wooden Reeves so much of the time, but she did try and part of the time she even succeeded. At least she looked the part. She has a luminescence and effervescence about her that make us feel any man would be a fool not to fall in love with her. Giancarlo Giannini and Anthony Quinn turn in first-rate performances as Victoria's father and grandfather and they do much to rescue A WALK IN THE CLOUDS from mediocrity.

Despite this film's tendency to slip into heaviness and melodrama, each scene is a visual delight. Cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, certainly didn't let anyone down. A WALK IN THE CLOUDS is gorgeously filmed and, on that score, it does rival, or perhaps even surpass, LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE. While the entire film is a visual delight, two scenes, in particular, deserve special mention. The first is a scene during which the women of the vineyard dance around in a vat of grapes, crushing them with their bare feet. That might not sound so gorgeous on paper, but it is both sensual and beautiful. The second scene that deserves a special mention is my favorite and revolves around the people of the vineyard as they "fly" through it at night on huge, gossamer wings in an attempt to keep the frost off the grapes.

If only A WALK IN THE CLOUDS could have kept the light, ephemeral feel it had two-thirds of the way through the film and avoided the disastrous fall into melodrama and it's horribly silly ending, I think it might have been a masterpiece. As it is, I definitely think it's worth renting, but I would have to think twice before buying it. It's certainly not going to be everyone's cup of tea.

Rating:
Summary: I'm a guy and even I thought it was great.
Review: Keanu's alleged "wooden-ness" fits his role in this movie perfectly (as a returning WWII vet who saw a lot of death and now is faced with a wife who doesn't understand him and a job he doesn't want).

The music is great too; I went out and bought the soundtrack.

Basically, it's a great romance movie with beautiful scenes, not a bad way to start a Friday evening with your lover.

Rating:
Summary: Quite amusing
Review: I'm surprised to see that I am the first person to review this movie. Not that it is amazing, but I like the story that it tells. Also, this was the first American movie for Spanish actress Aitana Sánchez-Gijón. Maybe that's why it is really well-known in Spain. Keanu Reeves is not bad either.

There are some really beautiful scenes, all of them taking place in the vineyard fields. Don't miss the way this family have to prevent the vineyards from rotting during a stiflingly hot night.

Rating:
Summary: GORGEOUS DVD
Review: This is a gorgeous film shot in California Wine Country- the romantic love story is a bit overdone at times but the setting and charming performances by Keanu and Anthony Quinn along with the brief stint by Debra Messing move along nicely. The true star is the stunning countryside and the beautiful scenary.

Travelguide for Sonoma and Napa counties- best viewed with a nice bottle of your favorite vintage. For a white I like Kendall Jackson Chardonnay ( Alexander Valley), or a nice hearty Napa Merlot- your choice of vineyard- both make this a mellow evening of viewing:)

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful movie
Review: This is truly a wonderful movie! The acting of the hispanic actors is superb, and the scenic views of the vineyard (where most of the movie takes place) is beautiful. I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good romantic plot!