Rating: 
Summary: I dreamed of a better movie
Review: Two things drew me to this movie: the lush photography and actor Vincent Perez, a favorite of mine; neither rescued the film from 2 hours of pleasant dullness however. This true tale about conservationist Kuki Gallman treads dangerously into real-life epic territory. That is the filmmakers have the enormous responsibility of creating an engaging story without betraying the subject. The movie never manages to do either, treading along in stunted, episodic fashion and never revealing an intimate portrait of Gallman.Instead of a true character, we only see the milestones of her life. After a car accident causes Kuki (Kim Basinger) to reevaluate her life, she decides to move to Kenya with her son (Liam Aiken) and new husband (Perez). There, they test the limits of love and endurance, encountering every natural and human hostility that would greet an upper class European family. In spite of her isolation and the tragedies that befall her, Kuki perseveres and in time becomes part of the African landscape she loves. The movie is not horrible by any means. Few locations have the naked beauty of Africa, and its nature is seeped with such rawness that one marvels at Kuki's strength of survival. Nevertheless, other films have done much more with much less. As Kuki and Paolo constantly remark of Africa, this movie has a different rhythm, more of the stop and go variety. It suffers from a lack of plot and its dependence on disjointed vignettes that, although revealing, never cohere. I kept searching for a theme or two to materialize - a clash between Kuki and her adventurous husband, her battle to tame life, the land, and herself, etc. - and while the filmmakers likely wanted to avoid pigeonholing her life, we are left with even less of a sense of character. Despite a weak script, superb acting bolstered the film. Kim Basinger impressed me once again. She commands this role with ferocity, especially with scenes between Kuki and her son. Vincent Perez, who has built a solid body of work across the ocean ("Indochine," "Cyrano de Bergerac"), has yet to find a commercial or critical hit in America. It's too bad because he possesses a unique intensity, not unlike that of Paolo. Charming Liam Aiken is a natural in his role, and Eva Marie Saint embodies every bit the mannerisms of a European elite who otherwise would not set foot in Africa but still loves her daughter for doing so. This could have been a better DVD. Although there are some good features, including an HBO special, trailers, and score only track, I was disappointed with the lack of information on Kuki Gallman and her conservation efforts. Also, a feature on Kenya would have been nice.
Rating: 
Summary: comes up empty-handed
Review: Vincent Perez was quite good in this movie and adds some much needed spark. I would like to see him in more movies. But unlike the reviewer who calls Kim Bassinger's acting "amazing astonishing" I think she is one of the worst actresses around and in this movie she is no less irritating. I did however appreciate her realistic portrayal with her son Emmanuel. There is very little depth to this movie, it skims over a lot of potentially interesting plots/sub-plots but doesn't go anywhere! Which is too bad because I think Kuki must be a deep and interesting person. As many others have said "for heavens sake .. don't buy it"
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful but uninvolving
Review: Were it not for a heartfelt performance by Kim Basinger, the exceptional cinematography, and the beautiful music by Maurice Jarre, this film would have nothing to offer except a disjointed, uninvolving biography in which the important events take place off screen like a stage play. A genuine treat was Eva Marie Saint, who should get an Oscar nomination for her outstanding, understated, yet highly effective performance as Basinger's mother. Vincent Perez has a few good, charming moments, but his character, sadly, has little weight. The ultimate failure is in the adaptation and in the unimaginative direction.
Rating:
Summary: Unexpectedly Great!
Review: What a brilliant performance by Kim Basinger, without her this movie had nothing but beautiful scenery. Her Oscar worthy performance allows you to feel her ups and downs throughout this true, very dramatic story.
Rating:
Summary: Better than the book, but not all that good
Review: With the annoying elements of the book reduced or removed, "I Dreamed of Africa" becomes an okay movie. Mostly this is the story of an Italian woman who, with her husband, buys a large ranch in Kenya. I won't give anything away, but she endures various tragedies which provide the movie's drama. The performances are good, the scenery is pretty, there isn't mush emphasis on plot. The "Africa" in the title is mostly scenery. Not near as good as "Out of Africa".
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