Personnel et confidentiel

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 struggles in reporting the news are shown in such an interesting way in the 1996 movie, 'Up close and personal'. It also shows that a little bit of luck can help a person go a long way in an industry like that of TV journalism. This movie's story, which has a strong and very emotional romance within it, also has some surprising twists that I am sure people will not expect once they have watched it.

Sally Atwater is fresh from a small-town trailer park when she arrives in Miami, overdressed and overeager to be the weather girl. He debut is disastrous but her boss, experienced newsman, Warren Justice, admires her spunk and takes her under his wing, making her an on air reporter. As Justice moulds Sally into one of the county's most sought after journalists, the pair fall in love, only to have their relationship threatened by the very success they have created.

Here is one of the great romance movies I have seen in a longtime. I love the way that the main stars first meet and how their relationship develops. By the time that Tally is a great journalist, what is more important than her career, is the man that she loves that being Warren Justice. The screenplay for this movie was beautifully written by John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion. I love how the two main stars are able to fall in love, but at the same time, able to do what they do as a career. Sure it might take a little while for the movie to show that this is important, but I feel that the time needed to be taken, so that both Tally and Warren fall deeply in love.

The director of 'Up close and personal' was Jon Avnet, who has been a part of some great movies such as that of 'Risky Business', 'When a man loves a woman', and the 'Mighty ducks' trilogy. In this movie, I love the way that Avnet shows Tally Atwater at the start, to be someone who is a struggler, ignored and made fun of. Then to make her character be so vital and important in the whole make-up of the film, was great. This I believe is the good work of Avnet and makes the movie all the more compelling. I also like the world that Avnet has created for the film, that of the pressurised, TV journalism environment.

The stars of the movie are two of Hollywood's better known actors in Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer. The pair have a good chemistry in this movie, with the way that they fall in love very believable. I also like how Redford's character, Warren, refers to Tally at the start of the film, saying that 'she eats the camera'. This scene shows that Warren not only likes Tally as a journo, but as a woman as well. I also like the way that Pfeiffer appears in this film. She looks very much like a reporter does on the news and it is in her appearance that this needed to be so definite.

The supporting cast of 'Up close and personal' is a pretty good one. I like Marcia McGrath (Stockard Channing), who is the tough as nails anchor girl, who is pushed out of her position by the rising career of Tally Atwater. She treats Tally pretty bad in the film, if the truth be known. I also like Joanna Kennelly (Kate Nelligan), who we find out is one of Warren's former wives. She is one of the reasons why Warren has had a turbulent journalism career. Do not discount the little role taken on by Tally's cameraman Ned Jackson (Glenn Plumber). He is an incredibly brave cameraman, who admires Tally for the work that she does. Trust me I would not have liked doing the camera work that he was doing in the prison.

'Up close and personal' might not have the greatest of sound tracks, but it does have one song that I really like. That song is 'Because you loved me' sung by Celine Dion. It is a song which was used well in the film and its lyrics suit this movie beautifully. How great a song this was, made me want to watch the film all the more. By the way, there is one scene in the movie that shows Pfeiffer's character singing 'The impossible dream' at an empty football stadium in front of Warren. All I will say about this is that Pfeiffer should stick to the acting game, because she does not sing that well.

This movie, is such 'a good drama love story', because it shows how tough the 'TV journalism' area can be, and does not shrug away from showing how difficult and dangerous such a career can be (the prison scene is wonderfully shot and one of the great parts of the film). I also like how this movie concludes, and I am not afraid to admit that it has gotten me upset both times I have watched it. You will notice, that I say that Sally Atwater's name is actually 'Tally'. I will not reveal how this change happens, just to say that I like it. I believe it was placed in the story for a bit of fun. But I am not so sure I would like my name changed for my chosen career. Would you?

CMRS gives 'Up close and personal': 4 (Very Good Film)

It has been a long time since a film has made me cry. I can't remember crying like this since Beaches and Steel Magnolias years ago. To be honest the movie seemed a little boring and overacted to start with - Pfeiffer was very much as she had been in Dangerous Minds, controversial and unique (not that that is a bad thing, just repetitive). However, once you move past the 'a star is born' bit, the developing relationship between Warren Justice (Redford) and Tally Attwater is a beautiful and believable one. It is also interesting to get a look at how the TV news may operate behind-the-scenes.

Unlike so many star couplets today, Redford and Pfeiffer have true on-screen chemistry and are at their best in this film.

"Up Close and Personal" proves again that charismatic stars and good production values can overcome a weak story. This story of two television journalists (Redford and Pfeiffer) has few surprises, no fresh insights about the news business, and its big moments are both predictable and overblown. Nevertheless, Redford and Pfeiffer provide enough star power to make for a reasonably entertaining couple of hours. There is one particularly funny line, though. When the Pfeiffer character says of a co-worker, "He's so stupid!" her boyfriend, the Redford character, with a quizzical expression on his face, says, "He's an anchorman." 6 out of 10, marginally recommended.

Sally 'Tally' Atwater (Michelle Pfeiffer) is ambitious and green starting out as a local TV reporter in Miami hired by news director Warren Justice (Robert Redford) from her amateur tape. They fall in love as he grooms her rise from weather girl to star reporter in the newsroom. Agent Bucky Terranova (Joe Mantegna) recruits her to a bigger Philadelphia station. She struggles from jabs by jealous anchor Marcia McGrath (Stockard Channing) and unkind public judgment. Warren has been struggling himself. Sensing her despair, he goes to Philadelphia to help her recover.

This is loosely based on the late NBC News anchor Jessica Savitch but it has more in common with the play Pygmalion. It's a bit too broad at first with Pfeiffer stumbling awkwardly to portray inexperience. It's so broad that it actually becomes off-putting. There is also the age difference but Pfeiffer and Redford are great enough to overcome it. The plot has much of the formula of a good romance but it just feels false. The actors' cinematic presence helps a lot. In the end, I don't feel it.