Saturday, December 16, 2006
OUT OF PATIENCE
Today's NYTimes Best 1176 Film was
It is beautifully tedious with heavy acting by Meryl Streep (a variable accent, scene to scene, but she has to do it doesn't she? ACTress!) and Robert Redford (opening eyes and nostrils wide to emphasize his lines).
You know that neither of these are my favorite actors and, in this one, they are coupled through thick and thin.
Fortunately the 'epic romance', as Ebert refers to it, takes place in Africa at the start of the last century.
It is gorgeous. The people are great. The story is pretty good and even causes a lump in the throat despite one's best intentions.
But, goddam, it takes a long time to get where it is going.
I sat through the original. And I sat through this until after the wonderful plane ride. Then, I have to admit, I cut my own 30 minutes out of it which Sydney Pollack out to have done when he edited the film.
I will give it a 3 out of Netflix5. It is not nearly as good as it thinks it is or wants to be.
