This is a movie that I've been dismissing for years and years. But I finally buckled down and watched it just now.
What a fool I've been.
Definitely one of Clint's best works. It's a simple, heartrending love story - beautifully told. I was genuinely impressed and terribly moved. Yes, there is some sense of the obvious in Richard LaGravanese's screenplay with the present day framing story being just a little too forced and pat.
But you really do feel the relationship between Clint and Meryl Streep, as they both give wonderful performance. Streep gets props and deservedly so... She has this scene on the porch after their first night together that is just a stunning display of physical acting.
But I was really impressed with Eastwood too. This is his warmest role and some of the most barebones acting he's ever done. Robert Kincaid is a great character. His first scene - asking Streep for directions - just perfect. And his final scene, standing in the rain... It's things like that, which remind you that Clint can act like the best of them... He just didn't step out of his comfort zone all that often. Here he takes a huge risk, and it pays off big time.
And the movie is a very effective weepie, without resorting to full-blown sappiness. The sense of connection these two feels comes across as completely truthful and there are no cheap shots. I am not afraid to admit that I sat in that easy chair with tears streaming down my face.
I don't know what the consensus on this is... But I feel like I've discovered a real gem of 90s cinema and one of Eastwood's best films.
What a fool I've been.
Definitely one of Clint's best works. It's a simple, heartrending love story - beautifully told. I was genuinely impressed and terribly moved. Yes, there is some sense of the obvious in Richard LaGravanese's screenplay with the present day framing story being just a little too forced and pat.
But you really do feel the relationship between Clint and Meryl Streep, as they both give wonderful performance. Streep gets props and deservedly so... She has this scene on the porch after their first night together that is just a stunning display of physical acting.
But I was really impressed with Eastwood too. This is his warmest role and some of the most barebones acting he's ever done. Robert Kincaid is a great character. His first scene - asking Streep for directions - just perfect. And his final scene, standing in the rain... It's things like that, which remind you that Clint can act like the best of them... He just didn't step out of his comfort zone all that often. Here he takes a huge risk, and it pays off big time.
And the movie is a very effective weepie, without resorting to full-blown sappiness. The sense of connection these two feels comes across as completely truthful and there are no cheap shots. I am not afraid to admit that I sat in that easy chair with tears streaming down my face.
I don't know what the consensus on this is... But I feel like I've discovered a real gem of 90s cinema and one of Eastwood's best films.
