A Walk in the Clouds (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
Love stories - on film - can be very personal. What's romantic to one person, may not be so for the other. For me, I really fell for 'A Walk in the Clouds' (directed by Alfonso Arau). I fell for its characters, the romance, the story, how it all plays out, the idealism of it all, etc. That said, the person next to me might roll their eyes, poo-poo the romance & loathe the end of the film. All I know is, I really, really liked it. My nana, my aunt, & several other people I know loved it. We can't all be wrong, can we?
The story: San Francisco, 1945. Paul Sutton (Keanu Reeves) has just returned from WWII, where he received a medal for courage. He has a wife (Debra Messing) who he barely knows; having wed her the eve of his departure to have someone to write to & long for. Raised in an orphanage, Paul fantasizes about having a real family; but his 'wife' doesn't really cut it for now. And in fact, their post-war reunion goes all wrong. Needing to re-assess his life, Paul heads for Sacramento. On the way, he encounters Victoria Aragon (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon), a woman with an amiable smile that hides inner pain. Pregnant by her college professor, she is returning to her family's vineyard, Las Nubes (the clouds), to help with the annual grape harvest.
Her family is large, boisterous, & steady ($$-wise) Mexican-Americans who've lived in California for many generations. Once there, she'll have to reveal her news, but is terrified that her dad, Alberto (Giancarlo Giannini), a stern man from the 'old school', will kill her for having a baby unwed. Paul - gentleman that he is - comes to us with an idea: he'll pretend to be her husband for 1 day ... then leave her in the morning. Victoria agrees, but as we all know, matters get out of hand, & this wouldn't be a love story if they didn't fall for each other in the process. What will they do after day 1 is up? How will he deal with his 'marriage'?
'A Walk in the Clouds' is the definition of enchanting; a wonderful romantic fable, full of passion, sincerity & bittersweet sentiment. Don't get me wrong, it IS a melodrama; even sappy, at times. Many critics can't stomach melodrama. But it's handled well, here; thanks to the skills of the director, his team, & the performances. Let me speak of some of my highlights from this movie: I loved one of the 1st scenes, where Paul & Victoria stand in the middle of a country lane -- this is their meet-cute. Not only is it great, but the arching leaves which hang over them, the color palette, the costumes, the emotion, it's like a little dollop of magic onscreen. In another scene, there's a female grape-stomping dance that is full of both sensuality & joy.
Another stand-out scene involves the potential freezing of the Aragon vines, & the entire family & their workers go into the field, using big butterfly wings to fan the warmth from oil heaters unto the grapes (fantastic scene). In one romantic scene, Paul serenades Victoria (in Mexican, no less) from beneath her window. And early on in the film, Don Pedro (as spoken by Anthony Quinn) tells Paul, 'You are an orphan no longer'. Who it's said by, to whom it's said, & HOW it's said makes for one of those moments where your heart skips a beat, & goosebumps form.
So you see, the film is sprinkled with magical moments from all directions. Watching 'A Walk in the Clouds' is like experiencing a wonderful dream; with cinematography (by Emmanuel Lubezki) that is warm, vineyard landscapes that are as beautiful & romantic as the story, set pieces that linger in your mind, & a lush, playful musical score (by the great Maurice Jarre) that is as lovely as some of the composer's finest works. I also enjoyed Alfonso Arau's theme of 'belonging': Paul has no family or future (early on), but Victoria's whole being is based on family, tradition, & future. He assumes her sense of community, culture, & belonging. I love that. And I love the Aragon family.
Keanu Reeves is no master thespian, but he acquits himself well, here. The biggest compliment I can give is that I felt like I was watching Paul Sutton, & not Keanu Reeves. Newcomer Aitana Sanchez-Gijon is a revelation; luminous, appealing & loveable. And the chemistry btwn. her & Reeves is palpable. Angelica Aragon plays the perfect mom; quiet, but knowing. Giancarlo Giannini is the perfect cold, inflexible father; and yet, you just know he's a loving, romantic deep down inside. And Quinn exudes the kind of grace & kind-heartedness you'd find in his type of character - the old, but knowledgeable patriarch, Don Pedro. As mentioned, I just grew to love these characters so much; and was sad when the 100 minutes were up.
'AWITC' wove a potent spell over me, but I know it's not perfect. The script is solid, not great. The acting: very good, without being exceptional. And the near-tragic climax (while it works, visually) is a bit overblown, narratively; as if to say, the film needed a big conflict, so a melodramatic one is concocted. All that said, this is a special motion picture; the type of gentle, easy-going love story that only comes around once every few years.
The story: San Francisco, 1945. Paul Sutton (Keanu Reeves) has just returned from WWII, where he received a medal for courage. He has a wife (Debra Messing) who he barely knows; having wed her the eve of his departure to have someone to write to & long for. Raised in an orphanage, Paul fantasizes about having a real family; but his 'wife' doesn't really cut it for now. And in fact, their post-war reunion goes all wrong. Needing to re-assess his life, Paul heads for Sacramento. On the way, he encounters Victoria Aragon (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon), a woman with an amiable smile that hides inner pain. Pregnant by her college professor, she is returning to her family's vineyard, Las Nubes (the clouds), to help with the annual grape harvest.
Her family is large, boisterous, & steady ($$-wise) Mexican-Americans who've lived in California for many generations. Once there, she'll have to reveal her news, but is terrified that her dad, Alberto (Giancarlo Giannini), a stern man from the 'old school', will kill her for having a baby unwed. Paul - gentleman that he is - comes to us with an idea: he'll pretend to be her husband for 1 day ... then leave her in the morning. Victoria agrees, but as we all know, matters get out of hand, & this wouldn't be a love story if they didn't fall for each other in the process. What will they do after day 1 is up? How will he deal with his 'marriage'?
'A Walk in the Clouds' is the definition of enchanting; a wonderful romantic fable, full of passion, sincerity & bittersweet sentiment. Don't get me wrong, it IS a melodrama; even sappy, at times. Many critics can't stomach melodrama. But it's handled well, here; thanks to the skills of the director, his team, & the performances. Let me speak of some of my highlights from this movie: I loved one of the 1st scenes, where Paul & Victoria stand in the middle of a country lane -- this is their meet-cute. Not only is it great, but the arching leaves which hang over them, the color palette, the costumes, the emotion, it's like a little dollop of magic onscreen. In another scene, there's a female grape-stomping dance that is full of both sensuality & joy.
Another stand-out scene involves the potential freezing of the Aragon vines, & the entire family & their workers go into the field, using big butterfly wings to fan the warmth from oil heaters unto the grapes (fantastic scene). In one romantic scene, Paul serenades Victoria (in Mexican, no less) from beneath her window. And early on in the film, Don Pedro (as spoken by Anthony Quinn) tells Paul, 'You are an orphan no longer'. Who it's said by, to whom it's said, & HOW it's said makes for one of those moments where your heart skips a beat, & goosebumps form.
So you see, the film is sprinkled with magical moments from all directions. Watching 'A Walk in the Clouds' is like experiencing a wonderful dream; with cinematography (by Emmanuel Lubezki) that is warm, vineyard landscapes that are as beautiful & romantic as the story, set pieces that linger in your mind, & a lush, playful musical score (by the great Maurice Jarre) that is as lovely as some of the composer's finest works. I also enjoyed Alfonso Arau's theme of 'belonging': Paul has no family or future (early on), but Victoria's whole being is based on family, tradition, & future. He assumes her sense of community, culture, & belonging. I love that. And I love the Aragon family.
Keanu Reeves is no master thespian, but he acquits himself well, here. The biggest compliment I can give is that I felt like I was watching Paul Sutton, & not Keanu Reeves. Newcomer Aitana Sanchez-Gijon is a revelation; luminous, appealing & loveable. And the chemistry btwn. her & Reeves is palpable. Angelica Aragon plays the perfect mom; quiet, but knowing. Giancarlo Giannini is the perfect cold, inflexible father; and yet, you just know he's a loving, romantic deep down inside. And Quinn exudes the kind of grace & kind-heartedness you'd find in his type of character - the old, but knowledgeable patriarch, Don Pedro. As mentioned, I just grew to love these characters so much; and was sad when the 100 minutes were up.
'AWITC' wove a potent spell over me, but I know it's not perfect. The script is solid, not great. The acting: very good, without being exceptional. And the near-tragic climax (while it works, visually) is a bit overblown, narratively; as if to say, the film needed a big conflict, so a melodramatic one is concocted. All that said, this is a special motion picture; the type of gentle, easy-going love story that only comes around once every few years.