New York en automne

"Autumn In New York" neither opened my heart or my tear ducts. Unfortunately the film did not move me in the way I expect the Writer and Director intend it to. The same old plot used many times in the past, "Love Story". It was predictable after the first fifteen minutes. Richard Gere floundered in dialogue which was unbearably boring. Winona Ryder has proven she's better in 'period' pieces, "Little Women". The film lacked energy, even though it was about dying. The actors all seemed bored in their 'fluffy' dialogue. Even the fantastic location of New York didn't lift this piece up. It looked more washed out than the average persons eyes who would be watching this movie. At the risk of being called a 'chauvinist pig', this film is obviously for a female audience, as it was written and directed by females and this shows in the weak male dialogue. If rating by star value 'Autumn In New York' would definitely be a half star.

This film has been savaged by critics and it's easy to see why. The story is oooollllllddddd (young girl dying of an incurable disease) and some of the dialogue is beyond belief. But it is well-acted (Ryder and Gere give two of their best performances) and it looks beautiful. Basically the acting and photography kept me in my seat. Take those things away and it would probably be unwatchable. So, not too bad but not good either.

Will (Richard Gere) is a New York City restaurateur and ladies man, in his middle forties. His life's motto is definitely love 'em and leave 'em and have fun in between. So, when he meets Charlotte (Winona Ryder), a beautiful young lady half his age, he is surprised at how smitten he is with her. Wanting to make a connection, he hires her to make a hat for his date to a charity function. When she shows up at his apartment on the evening of the affair, he informs her that his date is sick. Would she, Charlotte, take her place? She agrees and they have a lovely evening together, one that lasts all night. Love is in the air, all right. But, Charlotte confides in Will that she has a dire medical condition, one that is threatening her life. What will their future hold? This is really a nice film for those who like to sigh and cry over a set of star-crossed lovers. Gere is great as the aging lothario and Ryder positively enchanting as the spunky and lovely young lady in his life. The rest of the cast members, including Anthony LaPaglia, Sherry Stringfield, and Elaine Stritch, are great. Then, too, the film is replete with lovely costumes, sets and scenery, making for a very beautiful watch. If you have a hankering for romances, even and especially ones that elicit tears, you should get this film without delay. On an autumn evening, with a fire blazing and mugs of hot chocolate on hand, you will feel very satisfied when the story is spent.

This movie has many weaknesses, but there is something really superior about it nonetheless. On the negative side, everything people are saying is true; the dialogue is clunky, the plot is predictable, and the chemistry is weak. On the other hand, the charisma of both the leads is amazing and I really fell in love with Winona Ryder's character. I think the makers of this film were resigned to the the fact that as far as writing was concerned, they weren't breaking any new ground. What they did instead was dress up the standard love story with great actors, nice clothes, and pretty settings. Despite the gloss, there is a story here that everyone can identify with at some level. The result, in my opinion, is something magical that I can't pin down. I think it's a success.

Just saw this movie today, and without giving too much away, the story does tug at your heartstrings. I just read a few comments by other authors. One in particular was very negative. Hard to understand this point of view, because this was a believable story. These days we are shown too much of the movie in the trailers; therefore we have an idea of what we're going to see. I did enjoy the wonderful autumn colours of the trees in New York. Also enjoyed the acting of Richard Gere and Winona Rider. Yes! We come up against the old story of the older man and the younger woman, and to many this is unacceptable ... but this story is different; understandable and acceptable, because of the plot. Elaine Stritch, a veteran actress makes her part a memorable one; likewise Richard and Winona. I enjoyed the camera work in this movie. I could smell the autumn leaves as they swirled in Central Park, and I could feel the cold crisp air in the winter scenes. I enjoyed my visit to "New York in Autumn" while sitting in my seat in a movie theatre in Canada.