In Love and War

There's something screwy in the Imdb ratings for this movie. Almost 25% of the votes are "10", yet its rating is "5.8"!! No way. This is a genuine 7 or 8 or 9 or 10 film, depending on your personal likes and dislikes. I give it "8".

"In Love and War" is based on the real experience of 18-yr-old Ernest Hemmingway who could not get into the regular Army because of a problem in one eye. However, he made it to Italy as a journalist, and actually was wounded near the front lines. He fell in love with his nurse and they vowed to marry after the war.

Hemmingway is played by Chris O'Donnel, which is my only 'beef' with the casting. Although he does a fine job, we all know that Hemmingway was a more gruff person and it never seemed realistic. Sandra Bullock plays the nurse and I liked her very much in this role.

Anyway, when he gets sent back to the USA, she stays in Italy. She thinks she is in love with an Italian doctor and breaks off her pledge to Hemmingway. He doesn't take it well, he smashes up things, goes into a drinking depression and is never the same. Even after the nurse returns to say she is sorry and still loves him. His pride kept him from forgiveness, and presumably was responsible for his suicide in his early 60s.

Overall a fine film about young men and women and their roles in the war, and its aftermath. The photography is beautiful and the dialog unifirmly well-structured.

When Agnes played by Sandra Bullock finally gives in to meet young Hemmingway before he is sent home at a run down brothel, Hemmingway says "I wanted this to be the most beautiful place on earth" She says, 'Just close your eyes". This is such an important thing that people overlook. When you have a love like that, you can be happy & in heaven in a run down room, and be in hell or just not happy in a Venitian mansion (the good Dr's house) or some other place that you think money will make you happy.

The story gave me a good insight to Hemmingway. I once saw a play that took place at the end of his life drinking and miserable & maybe still trying to forget and wishing, when she returned to him, his pride had not stood in the way of their love.

Sure the movie had some flaws but well worth watching.

I've seen a few movies only that moved me like "In Love And War". Probably due to my own life, I enjoyed this film as a moment of understanding - the young Ernest Hemingway who has hopelessly fallen in love with his nurse, Agnes von Kurowsky. Both actors (O' Donnell and Bullock) have proved their ability to do a great emotional show. Everything seems so true, so honest, so real. Anyone who has ever been desperately in love, doing things he/she shouldn't have done and takings risks that are obviously not worth taking them - those people do understand the meaning of love. And this movie shows love in war. And everything gets even more difficult for these two lovers who do not know how much surprises life will offer them...

For those of you who have read Hemingway, you will be surprised and captivated by the boyishness of the pre-war Hemingway that O'Donnell gives us so beautifully. The episodes in the life of the author that are covered by In Love and War are for the most part, not pretty. However, they give an insight into the writing of America's greatest author that no other movie of his work has ever done. Those who expected a movie version of A Farewell to Arms did not receive it, because the autobiographical In Love and War does not tell the same story that the semi-autobiographical book, A Farewell to Arms did. In Love and War is far closer to the truth, as other Hemingway scholars will attest. In that way, this movie is a valuable historical and biographical resource for people interested in Hemingway and his experiences in WWII Italy.

If you are watching this movie just for fun, however, and not to gain insight into a book or an author's life, there is much here for you as well. Bullock and O'Donnell have a wonderful chemistry, and the lighthearted moments are weighed against a tale of great agony and suffering without being preachy or too painful. There are serious moments, when the reality of life and war come home to Ernest, and there are beautiful moments, when Catherine explores Italy. It's a wonderful mix of the dramatic and the light, without being overdone or showy. The realism is striking. I hope that everyone who watches this movie enjoys it as much as I did.

The events took place during the First World War period. By the way, this story is biographical and tells us a bit of a life of the famous literary figure of the 20th century - Ernest Hemingway. In 1918, 18-year-old Hemingway had volunteered to fight in the war and during an attack in Italy, his leg was wounded a lot and he was taken to the hospital where he was lucky or not to meet 26-year-old nurse, Agnes and to fall in love with her. But did she feel the same? Good and even more bad things can be said about this film. And the plot with the costumes are one of the strongest points of the picture. Although there are many similar works, this looks different. Probably the fact that this very story is based on real events makes me worrying about the main characters, and all depicted atrocities of the war also make their contribution into perception. Some episodes will settle in my mind, for example, when a little girl called a nurse "Angel" or the man committed suicide, or those first signs of the love. I think any person will definitely find something to think about after watching the film.

Though, the plot is fine, the majority of the film you would feel bored. The cause of it is a long beginning along with the actors' play. Sandra Bullock played Agnes von Kurowsky and I really like her and have seen so many movies with her: "The Proposal", "The Lake House", "Miss Congeniality" and the others. And in every film she was brilliant and bright and the one who made a great impression on me every time I saw her in the movies. But here she was plain and uninteresting. It seems that she tried to reserve her emotions and maybe she does not fit to this role. She looked sleepy and factitious. What about Chris O'Donnell as Ernest 'Ernie' Hemingway, he was not bad there, but not impressive and charismatic as I anticipated his character should have been. He was not energetic and sassy enough as he was trying to be and his playing just spoiled my impression on this film.

To conclude all mentioned above I want to say that this was OK: good because it was about the war and love and everything, but it was not impressive at all.