Rating of
3/4
Meryl Streep is Regal
Franz Patrick - wrote on 12/02/08
This film deserves its reputation for being one of the most sweeping romantic films of the 20th century. Directed by the great Sydney Pollack, this picture is grand in scope, not just when it comes to its cinematography, but also when it comes to complexity of its characters and emotions. Meryl Streep and Robert Redford lead the pack and they are nothing short of astonishing; from the moment they met until the end of the film, I thought they had chemistry and the scenes seem to pop whenever they would interact. I’ve always thought that Streep is one of the most elegant actresses to watch but she always surprises me, especially when I’d watch her older films. She has a way of making the audience like her character one minute but despise her the next. Her character here is a walking contradiction and I think that’s why I wanted to know more about her. This movie expertly tackles issues such as marriage, sense of belonging, the hardship of loving and being loved, freedom, education, women’s role in society, and race. Almost three hours long, this picture definitely took its toll on me, but the positive outweighs the long running time. I enjoyed the organic nature of it–how each scene seems to spill into one another in a very gratifying way. Some scenes that took my breath away include the plane cruising the African terrain, the nature of lions, and Streep and Redford’s discussion about marriage as either a want or a need. This is not the kind of film that I would recommend to people under 21, not because it’s explicit but because it’s the kind of picture that relates (and in turn appreciated) more to the older generation.
