I love you, je t'aime

This movie seems to be about the problems of growing up smarter than everyone else, but it's a very complicated little movie. Everyone in this movie wants to be like the people in the movies, even though they fall far short. There is a brief cameo by Broderick Crawford at a wrap party. Crawford is not interested in art. He wants booze and broads. The director, who is romancing Diane Lane's mother, is a schlock director, but is flattered by people's belief he is an artist. Olivier plays an old man who pretends to be many things, but turns out to be a petty crook. As for the two young lovers who want to seal their love by kissing under the Bridge of Sighs in Venice as the church bells sound, they want to be Bogey and Bacall.

Well, didn't we all? Don't we all?

Smashing romantic comedy-drama about two youngsters in love. A movie-loving French boy and the daughter of Americans working abroad meet and eventually run away from Paris to Venice to seal their love within the bonds of a legend--never suspecting the romantic story they've been told is a tall one, thought up by a wily pickpocket (Laurence Olivier, hammy but not overdoing it) who ends up acting as their guardian. Herky-jerky continuity and a too-heavy police interrogation sequence do not mar otherwise lovely and funny film with a beautiful score by Georges Delerue (which deservedly won an Oscar). Diane Lane, in her debut, is a wise little princess with understanding eyes and a husky, charming voice. *** from ****

This movie is very special to me. I saw it with my first girlfriend. I thought, "Wow, they made a movie about me." This is a truly amazing movie. Sure there are contrivances but really the romantic angle works.

This movie has everything, philosopy, romance, adventure, love, discovery of self love and France. Who could ask for more. It has a wonderful cast. Diane Lane is absolutely wonderful. Sir Laurence Olivier is just fabulous. The rest of cast is a wonderful collection of oddballs and nuts that are done superbly.

There is no overt sex, no violence but the movie manages to do very well without those things. It makes you wonder why they can't make more movies like this anymore. It is a complete movie. Thankfully they did not make a sequel to this one. It stands on its own. The test of a good movie is that after it ends you care and wonder about the characters. This movie really makes you wonder what happened after the movie ends.

Did she write back? Did he find another love? Will they find true love? Very few movies I have seen ever made me wonder what happened after the end.

We were the first family in our neighborhood to have a VCR. The first movie I can remember watching was A Little Romance!! Can you imagine being a 5 year old girl and seeing Europe for the first time through the eyes of these two beautiful teen agers. Seeing true LOVE for the first time in such a genuine, honest story! I was overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. I LOVE this movie! I have watched it many times in my life, at various ages. I have shared it with friends and family and watched with some odd sort of pride as they too fell in love with the story and its characters. Such a whirlwind story. Never a dull moment. And can I just say that the soundtrack is incredible!!!

I still own our original VHS tape. It came encased in plastic inside a large cardboard, front-opening box. It has traveled with me, moved with me countless times, been watched repeatedly, and probably even cried on. But, like the true love it represents, it has withstood the test of time. However, last Spring, my own sweet, wonderful boyfriend did buy me the DVD, "for when your copy goes to that big VCR in the sky". (what a keeper he is)

I cannot express the depth of emotions this movie triggers in me. And I can't explain how I managed to cling to the belief that love, can indeed be as simple and beautiful as the characters portray. But I can say that it has been my quest "to kiss under the bridge of sighs, at sunset, while the bells toll". It has become a dream to be fulfilled. Summer of 2005, my boyfriend and I will be in Europe. And we WILL visit Venice. And we WILL take that gondola ride. And as the incomparable Sir Laurence Olivier says in the movie " What are legends anyways, but stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.....Something that two people who are in love create together, against impossible odds, CAN hold them together...forever!"

We believe the legend is real!!!!

Forget what the naysayers might tell you, not all films about first love are teen softcore or sappy afterschool special! I still get a kick out of loaning this movie to friends and co-workers when they need something a little romantic. Sure, it's somewhat dated in places, but everything's here, including the excitement you feel for the two lead characters. Oh, and at risk of sounding like some pervert, I was only a tad older than Diane Lane was when I first saw this movie and I knew she was bound to be a knockout, that said, she still can act better than most and delivers a strong one here. That she can pull this off starring in a movie with Sir Larry says quite a lot if you ask me.