A few thoughts about this movie (minor spoilers)
Well I told myself I was going to turn off the "analyzer" part of my brain but I just can't resist jotting down a few things I really really liked about this movie.
For one thing the story. John Nolte says "Story, story, story!" and he's right. You get a good story, you'll have the basis of a good movie. I plain old loved the story. This is one of those movies with a really strong central theme, but which brings in plenty of other things to maintain interest and hilight all kinds of things. What's the movie about? Well: what the title says. But of course there's romance and more. Faith & science. Life & work. Romance and work. Living in a world and living with violence & threats of violence that are a part of life. Living in a world and finding meaning in the world. Sounds bewildering when I type all that out that way, but really it's not in a movie like this. So: wonderful, wonderful story, told well.
The script. Really like it. Delivers the story but delivers so much more. For example, I just loved the brief scene between the two rivals, Fred and Robert. I just wouldn't change a thing about that scene, it was touching and moving and poignant and funny and ... well perfect. Also this bit of dialog:
Sheikh to Fred: "I am sorry."
Fred: "Oh no ... it's a miracle"
Sheikh: "Indeed [pause] but I am sorry."
If you haven't seen the movie, you won't know what I'm talking about, but that bit was short and very bittersweet and just perfect.
Acting. It was all more than good, it delivered everything with precision and brilliance and emotion and conviction. It's a commonplace that you just can't deliver a good story without good acting. Well ... this movie delivered both.
One more thing I really really like about this movie: it's treatment of Men and Women at Work. We just plain don't get a lot of this in movies. But the interaction between personal life and work life is one that just about all of us face every day, and it's just delightful to find a movie that treats that tension, and that interaction, with the seriousness and humor they desevrve.
Well I could go on and on and maybe another night I will. But I'm nursing a cold and am about to hit the sack. But just want to say again what a delight this movie was for me, and how grateful I am for all who brought this to the silver screen. Thanks.
Charles Delacroix