Um Momento, Uma Vida

Charming, if slightly patronizing 70's drama. Superb direction. Subtle and understated script. Pacino at his most gorgeous. Howlingly funny, despite it's tragic subject matter. A memorable ending, brilliantly realised. I'd forgotten about the "look, it's Bobby Deerfield" scene as well as all that stuff about salami. Pacino's reactions, especially after first dropping off Marthe Keller at her uncles, are perfectly pitched, dead pan gems. Inexplicably maligned by many, this hidden jewel may be due a timely re-assessment, not least because Keller's performance now seems perfectly in tune with the Ritalin generation.

Bobby Deerfield is not your average romantic drama especially when compared to the recent phase of Rom-Com's sweeping the screens at the cinemas.

Firstly, Al Pacino is at his best, highly intense and more importantly convincing as a character to accept. This is not surprising as his two other significant films of that decade were the masterful The Godfather and Godfather Part II. There seems to be something compelling in his role in this film which i cannot grasp to identify to you. Maybe because his co-star heightens our interest by their exchange of witty dialogue although i would point towards his stern expressions and calm voice which can explode in his characters few moments of glory.

Secondly, this film is not for the mass popcorn audience, the direction is obtuse and could be compared to the 'Art film' style that we struggle to view at all in popular culture. This is were the 'original' element of my comment of Bobby Deerfield spurs from. It is the fact that the mass audience wouldn't know what to do with the arbitrary meanings revealed. It is usually clear cut in 'Hollywood'.

To finish up, the romance and the character sparring is worth the time of a person who wants to be inspired or possibly take something away from a film that will last longer than the time it takes to see it.

This movie is hard to locate and seems to be a true lost gem. Both Al Pacino and Marthe Keller are true hedonists who fall in love. But there's more. Keller is dying of cancer and Pacino is a racing driver who lives for the adrenalin buzz of speed and excitement. Both get to realise the reason behind their own "Live for today" motivations. Keller is the society girl who falls in love with Pacino and their manic lifestyles compensate one another. A very poignant and truly touching movie which will bring a lump to your throat.

When Bobby Deerfield was marketed in the USA it was sold to the public as a racing picture like Grand Prix or Le Mans. I well remember the advertisements for it. The European racing scene however is only a background for an Erich Maria Remarque novel on which the film is based. It is a very typical Remarque story about doomed people.

Remarque was one of the most pessimistic of 20th century writers. His best known work however usually has a war background. He spent his entire life trying to out do his first great success All Quiet On The Western Front. Such other work as Three Comrades and Arch of Triumph which were also filmed had a war background or post or pre-war if you will.

The novel Bobby Deerfield is based on Heaven Has No Favorites and came out in 1961 and its protagonist was not an American. My guess is that in order to film it and insure box office the protagonist was changed to an American and a rising American star was cast. Al Pacino plays the title role, an American driver on the European circuit who is self involved in his career. In fact he goes visiting another injured driver, not out of any tremendous concern for him, but to find out information about the crash because he's driving the exact same type of car.

While at the hospital he meets Marthe Keller who leaves the hospital with him. She's a terminal tuberculosis patient and she wants to experience a little of life before it's too late. His kind of risk taking profession appeals to her. It takes a while, but the two develop a relationship.

Which was paralleled in real life between Al Pacino and Marthe Keller and that certainly helped the film a lot. Keller joins Ingrid Bergman from Arch of Triumph and Margaret Sullavan in Three Comrades as yet another of Remarque's doomed heroines. And like in war Pacino's in a job where his number can come up any time.

The film was shot on location in France. Sydney Pollack showed some of the style he did while making that other Oscar winning romantic film Out of Africa. The French countryside is captured beautifully.

Still I think it was bad for American audiences to expect another Grand Prix in Bobby Deerfield. There was enough racing scenes in the film to satisfy racing fans, maybe. But make no mistake, this is a tender romantic story and a good one.

Boredom, ennui, and ridiculous method acting (yes, even from Al Pacino) combine to make THE worst movie experience I have ever had. I found absolutely nothing to relate to with any of the characters. The cinematography was among the least imaginative ever. And, the nonsensical script and sophomoric dialogue are even worse than the acting and direction -- and that's not easy to achieve. What a total mess!!!!