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Director: Jon Avnet Running Time: 124 minutes Rated PG-13 (for some sensuality, language, and brief violence)

"Up Close & Personal" is one hundred percent a chick flick-but it is an effective one. With his new romantic drama director Jon Avnet has created a relevant, realistic, interesting behind-the-scenes look at news broadcasting, relationships, and journalism.

The story centers on a young energetic woman, named Sally Atwater, who, in desperation to find the job of her dreams, sends an application to be a television newscaster and work with the biggest names in the business. One of them is Warren Justice, played cleverly by Robert Redford, who lives an opposite life from the clumsy, tactless, and silly Sally. Of course she gets the job, falls in love with Warren, and experiences difficulties with her occupation as well as romance.

The film's first act is near perfect: it introduces the characters and guidelines, exactly what a good first act is supposed to do. We initially meet an opportunity starving underdog, the external conflict, then move on the romantic complications in the second act, the internal conflict. The second act also provides the gradual increase in romantic chemistry; for once we don't have a typical love at first sight story. Both problems are eventually resolved efficiently, but getting there is what contains the original felling.

What makes the characters so relateable in "Up Close & Personal" is the people who they are. Sally is a down-to-earth human being, blooming with cute charm and amiable qualities. She isn't presented as a glamorous, high stakes, important individual, but completely the opposite--perhaps a little too underdogish at times. Warren provides us with a stern opposite to Sally, forming tension. Their slow character development is totally appropriate, as well as effective, here.

The leading characters are played delicately by Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer; the right choice for each. Both pay special attention to the nitty gritty details within the characters. They are very careful not too overdue their characters and subdue the audience. This is not a deep picture, although the closing may catch a few unexpected viewers weeping, it's a light hearted, evenly presented, well-plotted romantic comedy-the filmmakers don't often pretend otherwise.

"Up Close & Personal" is not your typical love story. It is not slow moving, but full of colorful characters, interesting situations, focused point of views, and a suave atmosphere. It is a romantic comedy worth the watch time and your money.

Brought to you by Touchstone Pictures.

The film tries to give an idea of the difficulties of TV journalists to succeed and the problems they may face during the job. The director of the film seems to be interested of what may happen in Cuba, and the film touches partially the ethic of contra group in Miami. It also shows how mass media are always behind sensation of the news, sometimes sacrificing the life of the reporters, and this is what happened to Robert Redford, one of the heros of the film. This is not an easy film to be seen, but the argument is acceptable.

You know how there are some movies which you know you're not supposed to like but end up liking anyway? That perfectly describes this movie. This umpteenth re-telling of A STAR IS BORN is sappy, unbelievable(while previous "Norman Maine" characters are down because of alcohol, Redford's character is down because of his "integrity." Yeah, okay), and contains an unbearable Celine Dion(of course, in my opinion, unbearable and Celine Dion is redundant, but that's my opinion). But darn it if the romantic chemistry between Redford and Pfeiffer doesn't make this worth watching. And say what you want about director Jon Avnet(and I'm not a fan of his), he knows how to direct actors. Joe Mantegna, Stockard Channing, and Kate Nelligan are all excellent here. You may not like yourself for liking it, but there you go.

Even though I feel Robert Redford is getting a bit old to play the romantic hero, I did enjoy this movie. I liked the newsroom setting. I felt Michelle Pfeiffer gave a very good performance and that she and Mr. Redford had a very likeable chemistry. I didn't care for the ending, but it was good viewing on the whole. A good love story.

While this is definitely a "women's movie," a man can enjoy this, too. I did, but not enough to see it twice or to purchase it. Supposedly, it's the story of former television news reporters Jessica Savitch and Ron Kershaw.

Robert Redford is good at playing the veteran newsman teaching Michelle Peiffer (Savitch) the business. He does more than that, of course, being her lover and then her husband. With Redford, you know you are going to get a dose of Liberal politics in the mix and in here, it's let's-feel-sorry-for-the-prison inmates. The preaching is "they are in jail to be rehabilitated." Well, that sounds nice but whatever happened to jail as a form of punishment for someone committing a crime against someone else? Liberals - like Redford, who is never shy about giving us his views in movies like this - sometimes seem to have more compassion for thugs than they do victims of crime! He goes so far in here as to preach that if you don't treat prisoners with kid gloves you deserve to have a riot on your hands.

Outside of all that heavy-handedness, you get a nice romance with solid acting all around, not only from the two leads but the supporting case with people like Stockarrd Channnng, Joe Mantegna, Kate Nelligan, Glen Plummer and James Rebhorn.