Too much of everything

To me, this movie is perfection.

The Worst Film Ever

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Based on the 1989 book "Hemingway in Love and War" by Henry S. Villard and James Nagel, this is an extremely effective and often very moving depiction of the teenage Ernest Hemingway's relationship with the 26-year-old nurse Agnes von Kurowsky in Italy during the latter stages of the First World War. They fell in love and were planning on getting married after the war ended but Agnes broke up with him as she thought that he was too young. The experience left an indelible mark on Hemingway and it directly inspired several of his works, most notably "A Farewell to Arms". The film has a very strong script and it is extremely well and sensitively directed by Richard Attenborough, who was the obvious choice to handle this material. It bears some superficial similarities to his previous film "Shadowlands" in that it likewise concerns a famous author who has his first real experience of romantic love but then has to deal with the loss of that love, albeit in an extremely different way. It is not on the same level as that film, one of Attenborough's absolute best, but it nevertheless a very good film.Chris O'Donnell is very good as the 18/19-year-old Hemingway. He is depicted as a brash, arrogant, headstrong young man who joined the Red Cross in search of adventure. Considering that it was the War to End All Wars, he did not believe that he would get another chance to fight. However, the reality of the situation hits home when he receives a severe leg wound in the process of saving a young Italian soldier named Roberto, who dies shortly thereafter. He is taken to an American Red Cross-run hospital where he meets Agnes, who is played very well by Sandra Bullock, for the first time. Hemingway is immediately smitten but she maintains a polite disinterest for him for some time until she realises that she has fallen for him as well. The two of them have a very sweet, understated romance. Seven years is not much of an age difference in most adult relationships but it's a very big one when it is between 19 and 26. Hemingway is very brave and certainly very intelligent but he is still a teenager and occasionally does stupid things, most notably when he lies to his friend and rival Harry Villard and says, in her presence, that he and Agnes slept together. She slaps in the face - I'd have probably done the same thing in her position - but eventually forgives him.The main problem is that Agnes is a mature woman while Hemingway is very immature in many respects. He rushes headlong into their relationship and proposes marriage with only a vague and fairly unrealistic plan for their post-war life. Given that she accepts his proposal, she is initially swept away by the romance of the situation but she soon develops doubts about it. When Villard tells Agnes that she will be good for him as she can take care of him, she points out that this is what his mother is for. While Agnes is not quite as strong a character as I would have liked, O'Donnell and Bullock have great chemistry and many of their scenes together, particularly the last one, are very affecting. The supporting cast is very good, particularly Emilio Bonucci as Hemingway's more serious romantic rival Dr. Domenico Caracciolo, Mackenzie Astin as Villard and Ingrid Lacey as Elsie MacDonald.The film was aptly titled as it also explores the horror of war, something which Attenborough previously did, albeit more extensively and effectively, in "Oh! What a Lovely War" and his masterpiece "A Bridge Too Far". This is best handled in the case of Hemingway's friend Jimmy McBride, who suffers horrific injuries to most of his body. He eventually loses the will to live and commits suicide as the pain is just too great. The discovery of his body is the most moving scene in the entire film. As far as I can tell, McBride is an entirely fictional character so it is possible that his fate was intended as a reference to Hemingway's own suicide in 1961. Hemingway shows a softer side as well as his writing ability when he dictates the perfect letter to McBride's parents, supposedly from their son. It was a very kind thing to do.I've read several of Hemingway's novels but I am certainly not an expert on either his body of work or his life. However, I learned from a New York Times article published to mark the film's release that it took some liberties. In reality, according to her "Dear John" letter, she came to realise that she was very fond of him as a son rather than a sweetheart whereas she truly loved him in the romantic sense in the film. Their relationship is consummated in the film but they probably never did so in real life and the article argues that they were probably both virgins when they returned to the United States. I'm of two minds as to whether it was a good decision to have them sleep together in the film. Finally, they never saw each other after Agnes sent him the "Dear John" letter but they have one final meeting in the film. While the two of them never seeing each other again would have been a more poignant ending, their last brief encounter is necessary given the way that the film is structured. At the end of the film, Hemingway is as most people would picture him: bearded, brooding and drinking.Overall, this is an extremely strong film on the subject of first love, doomed love and the problems associated with notable age gaps in relationships. That said, it is more of a February-March relationship than a May-December one! The film's biggest problem is that it loses a little bit of its momentum in the last 20 to 25 minutes.

The film is based on the book Hemingway in Love and War by Henry S. Villard and James Nagel. In the movie Hemingway's real-life experience in WWI is reflected, what gives zest to the film. The story opens up with the appearance of a young energetic and craving for adventures war correspondent Ernest Hemingway. During one of the battles he gets wounded and then is sent to the hospital, where he falls in love with Agnes, an American Red Cross nurse, who saved his leg from amputation. So, their relationship is becoming to develop.This romantic movie is rather of high quality. Good cast, very harmonious music, exceedingly picturesque setting (especially Venice), perfect cameraman's job. All this immerse you into another world and makes you believe that even hardships of war can't be an obstacle for true love.Despite of the fact that my general impression was positive after watching this movie, I wouldn't like to watch it one more time, as I usually do, when a film impressed me very much. This film reminds me of a good fairy-tale, which is far from reality. The heroes are so beautiful, the war is so "clean", the setting is so romantic, everything is so, so, so… exaggerated. During watching the movie you just enjoy a good romantic story, you sympathize with the heroes, but you don't believe them.So, the movie is quite impressive and touching. I think, those, who like emotional romantic stories, would enjoy watching it but I don't advice it to those people, who expect to see a war movie. This film is more about love, not war. I would give this film 7 out of 10 points.

Richard Attenborough's "In love and War" is beautifully made, with an intriguing story, believable characters, and authentic locations.It's also a fascinating movie for anyone interested in the real story behind Ernest Hemingway's novel "A Farewell to Arms", and the films made from it, as well as the Nick Adams stories, which were filmed as "Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man". It depicts a pivotal experience that helped shape Hemingway into the writer now hailed as the greatest of his generation.Ernest Hemingway, played by Chris O'Donnell, is a volunteer ambulance driver with the Italian Army facing the Austrians in Northern Italy during WW1. When he is badly wounded, he is sent to an American hospital in Milan. It is here that he meets Agnes von Kurowsky – an American nurse with a Teutonic name. Before long, he is hopelessly in love with her. He is ardent but she is less so, although he slowly wears her down. They have an affair and Hemingway expects to marry her when they return to America.Although Hemingway goes home, Agnes stays, eventually informing Ernest that they are finished romantically. Hemingway is crushed and embittered, so much so, that when Agnes comes to see him back in America, he drives her away although she professes her love for him.The last scene in the movie is a powerful one, although, as a number of reviewers have noted, it didn't happen; Ernest never saw Agnes again after he left Italy, but he certainly was crushed and embittered.Some researchers claim their affair was never consummated. Agnes said as much in a letter to one of the co-authors of the book upon which "In Love and War" is based when she stated, "I wasn't that kind of girl". However, other witnesses claim that it was an affair in every sense of the word. Whatever the depth of the affair, I can't help feeling that the filmmakers should have found a way to end it the way it really happened – but I guess the thought of that final meeting was just too tempting.In reality, Agnes sent a letter citing the age difference as the main factor; she was 7 years older and often referred to Hemingway as 'Kid'; he carried the pain of this rejection throughout his life. One astute observer felt that it explained why Hemingway was always the first to break off his marriages, relationships and friendships – on the principal of get them before they get you.Sandra Bullock's restrained performance is perfect – casting a beautiful Hollywood star in the role does not exaggerate Agnes von Kurowsky's charms – judging from photographs of her online, she was indeed beautiful. Chris O'Donnell is also fine as the brash, over-confident Hemingway whose inexperience with women shows.The film also brings to life an obscure piece of history. Before America's entry into WW1, many American men and women volunteered to be nurses or ambulance drivers in France and Italy. They saw the carnage of war first-hand. In a scene in "Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man", inspired by Hemingway's experiences depicted in "In Love and War", Nick Adam's physician father says to his son after he has naively volunteered to be an ambulance driver, "Do you know what war is Nick? In a surgeon's tent, that's where you find out about war." "In Love and War" honours the altruistic and adventurous spirit of those men and women, and the price many of them paid – including a shattered leg and a broken heart from Hemingway himself.

This movie is the worst piece of garbage put on film.Everyone involved should be emabarrased.A total disaster from start to finish.Chris O'Donnell is a horrible actor.Sandra Bullock, who can be good, is totally miscast here.At last the truth has been revealed that Richard Attenborough is a hack, who made one decent film, Ghandi.All of his other films have been mediocre at best.What a mess.Horrible.