Definitely a movie I watched mostly because I like the actors. In this ambitious but somewhat flawed film, Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn play a pair of people who have a long-term affair, where they meet up once a year (behind the backs of their partners). That's the main thing that makes it feel ambitious- it spans about 25 years, with the film sometimes jumping forward up to five years in time between some scenes.
It's really just Alda and Burstyn the whole time, and they are both quite good. It definitely feels like a stage play because of the limited cast and fairly unchanging setting; it's really just the big leaps forward in time that give the film some momentum.
When characters change between films in the Before Sunrise trilogy, it feels more believable, even if you watch those movies back to back. In this film, some of the changes feel more sudden, though it's still interesting that the movie shows how people can change dramatically every few years. I only wish those changes had been done a little better, or maybe been a bit less broad.
The other thing that hurts this movie is the music. It's really sappy, and while I don't think it would sound too bad on its own, accompanying the film, it just feels weird. Maybe it wouldn't have been as jarring in the 1970s, when ballads written for movies felt a bit more common.
Overall? Good premise and good acting, but the writing's inconsistent and it's not very dynamic visually (plus that music also feels like a bit much). Definitely not a bad watch, though.
It's really just Alda and Burstyn the whole time, and they are both quite good. It definitely feels like a stage play because of the limited cast and fairly unchanging setting; it's really just the big leaps forward in time that give the film some momentum.
When characters change between films in the Before Sunrise trilogy, it feels more believable, even if you watch those movies back to back. In this film, some of the changes feel more sudden, though it's still interesting that the movie shows how people can change dramatically every few years. I only wish those changes had been done a little better, or maybe been a bit less broad.
The other thing that hurts this movie is the music. It's really sappy, and while I don't think it would sound too bad on its own, accompanying the film, it just feels weird. Maybe it wouldn't have been as jarring in the 1970s, when ballads written for movies felt a bit more common.
Overall? Good premise and good acting, but the writing's inconsistent and it's not very dynamic visually (plus that music also feels like a bit much). Definitely not a bad watch, though.