middleburg

Having seen the film when it first came out, receiving such glowing reviews, I have seen the film many times since. Probably the most beautifully filmed movie ever made -- the colors, the famed filming of this movie during the "Golden Hour", the haunting film score, with thanks to the inclusion of Saint-Saens Aquarium movement from "Carnival of the Animals", a story that is intriguing, enigmatic, poignant, gripping and magical all at once. It is a true work of Art -- one of the finest films ever made. The narration of the late (SO hard to believe!) Linda Mainz -- from the perspective of a young girl, the story enfolds -- elegaic, surprising, gripping, intriguing, heartbreaking all at once! Individual scenes which are each works of art are so beautiful, one is drawn to seeing the work, over and over -- like a great piece of classical music, or a great, enduring work of art in a museum -- each time one sees it, one notices new details, experiences new emotions that well up, and simply basks in the supreme beauty of this film, the ultimate power of the story and the strong human emotions one experiences. This film is pure art -- one of the finest ever made.

I haven't seen Rain Man in over 20 years, and just watching it again on a plane -- I was just as profoundly moved as the first time I saw it, tears flowed freely. It remains a film unlike any other -- surprisingly gripping, sometimes surprisingly funny, and one of the most genuinely moving and heartfelt films, that is also unlike any film I've ever seen -- and I'm a film buff! Like life itself -- it traverses SO many emotions -- from anger and frustration to forgiveness and enduring love, to excitement and joy, it speaks to the heart with a wisdom and an understanding of life that sometimes takes one's breath away! The acting of Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman is simply astonishing -- as they immerse themselves in polar opposite characters and acting styles that are SO vivid and simply, unforgettable. It was of course the Best Picture Winner of it's year, and I think ranks among the finest American films ever made.

This is a powerful film, filled with indelible images of a time and place that should be remembered. The opening screen credit says it all -- with the superimposed American gunboat dwarfed by the Immense Chinese boat -- an image symbolizing how the China of the 20th century is no longer what it had been in its history, invaded by so many -- from the Mongols to the Japanese -- but with change comes an upheavel in people's lives. This is an epic -- and deserving of recognition from its power and intrigiuing plot to its beautifully filmed scenes to its intimate and ultimately heartbreaking story. The opening screen credits is one of the most beautiful of all films -- with a truly beautiful, haunting and gut-wrenching film score by Jerry Goldsmith. This film deserves MUCH more attention and recognition than it currently has. Hopefully it will live on, as a great work of cinematic art.