The Garden of Eden

As someone who has studied and taught Hemingway for 40 years and read all his works, countless times, I think the main question here is what would Hemingway himself think of the way he is portrayed in this film. Remember please that someone else finished and edited the entire novel. So can you say it was written by Hemingway? What would he himself think about this work, which was so important to him that he worked on it for decades, and could never get it right enough to finish it. I think he would be enraged and feel betrayed by those who rewrote his work. Hemingway was so unique as a person with a true gift for saying so very much in so very few words, and so unique as a person who had deep human needs coupled with a fearlessness possessed by few, that I dare anyone to copy his style successfully. I have done that over the years, and I've never seen anyone succeed. So finishing the novel, and editing the entire work by another or others, is a fraud to call it a Hemingway novel or film based on it.

Great movie based on a great book - brilliant photography and wonderful costumes by the same person who won an Oscar for her costumes in Elizabeth 1, Alexander Byrne, and the editing is second to none from one of the best editors in the business.

The best of the best with a few minor flaws.

Mena Suvari is superb and Jack Huston as her on screen husband is fitting in the part. John Huston's direction is flawless.

Is is just a pity that the film has not come to Europe yet and had a wider audience. The film should be viewed on the BIG screen as this is the only way to do justice to a Hemingway film.

The film went on limited release in the USA on 10th December 2010 to critical acclaim.

What more can be said?

Mena Suvari delivers every line like a ridiculous declaration. She's a horrible actress and this is a horrible movie. I didn't read the book but I have to assume it must be better than the film adaptation because it sure can't be worse.

This is a very mediocre movie with really good actors who have done everything to give shape to this story. Mena Suvari and Caterina Murino are great in their roles even if these roles are incomplete for understand their stories. For Jack Huston I did not feel anything. He is just not the right actor for the role maybe, he seems too young and perfect to be credible. The story remains shallow, despite the inspiring beginning and how seductive the first 30 minutes looks - it then became flat. The characters are not developed enough to make them believable. They are a cool couple but without any reason to do what they do?. Sad to see what could be a good movie in the right hands. The photography and aesthetic in the movie is good, also beautiful locations, however the lack of depth make this almost disappear. I feel disappointed after watching it.

What a boring story and the acting is so bad that it's hard to focus. Useless irritating characters, just wanted them all to fall of a cliff so the movie could end.