Debra-Winger Movie Reviews

Debra Winger is a fine-looking woman in the best shape of her life in this film, so no objections there, but this movie lacks intelligence. Groups on the political fringe may have open recruitment, but when it comes to the inner circle they tend to be highly secretive. Do you think a criminal mastermind would take his new girlfriend to a Klannish manhunt on the second date? Later on they openly discuss a nation-wide plague of terror on this man's front porch--RIGHT! When it comes to drama I prefer some semblance of the truth, but like most Hollwyood films, this movie butchers reality like it's going out of style.

Another 5 star vote for this film, and well deserved it is.

The artistry in this film is evident, the plot is gripping from beginning to end. I was pleased to see so many familiar faces in the cast: Betsy Blair, (a 1955 Oscar Nominee for "Marty"), "Frasier" dad John Mahoney, John Heard, and character actor Ted Levine ("Silence of the Lambs") all are here, and all do a wonderful job. (John Mahoney is especially excellent, in a chilling but affable way.)

The plot unfolds slowly at first, with only faint hints of what is to come. (Actually, the less you know about this film going in, the more you will be surprised by it.) The "wholesome" farm community which seems so "normal" holds so much more--something troubling and sinister. But yet, these people still retain that "wholesome" normalness to them, even after we see what is underneath. The "normalness" never completely goes away, and in some cases, we still are actually able to sympathize with these characters, as depraved as they are. As a previous reviewer said, the "insanity of normality". "Betrayed" depicts this well.

The whole cast is wonderful--Winger is compelling and convincing, as is the rest of the cast. The characterization (and acting) of Tom Berenger as the "insane/normal" Gary should be applauded particularly. All through the film his character is consistent--a man with a "normal" ability to love those close to him. Even when see how his motivations and world view are so completely warped, we see a Gary who feels deeply, loves, and wants many the "normal" things in life. These qualities do not disappear when the darker side of him is revealed, which makes his character all the more fascinating and even sympathetic at times. The "insanity of normality" is most evident in his character.

Great film score by Bill Conti--understated at times, but effective. All-in-all, a fantastic film. A must-see.

It is an absolute pleasure to see how highly rated this film is. When it was first released, "Betrayed" received strongly mixed reviews -- everyone praised the sterling performances but most critics found this story of white supremacists planning on starting a guerrila warfare against the U.S. government wildly implausible. Oh, how little they knew! Here we are, after Oklahoma City and Ruby Ridge, truly evaluating this film for its prophetic theme. Don't miss this one, folks. It's brilliant.

What do you know, another treasurechest of a movie. Its funny how I found it, staying in a winter chateau. Black Widow was buried on a shelf of books and other movies for the traveler. So I popped it in at 2 a.m. and was taken into this world, like having fallen into a magic drain pipe. Not many people have heard of Debra Winger's co-star, but Theresa Russell proves, like in The Razor's Edge, with the appearance of the right script, her character will stand on the edge looking down, then she's your woman. Winger had the movie ripped from her mouth in a scene at a Hawaian party. She told Russell she was on to her husband-killing game and presented her with a gift-jewel widow. R's retort: "She kills, but can she love." Cornered she grabs Winger and kisses her on the lips- a little improve?..oh yea, definitely. The plot is fairly simple: Russell crawls under the richmans door and into his fortune with her eyes closed, counts the money and executes whistle-clean homicide. Winger then leaves her FBI office to a field chase; she is sexy as hell after breaking her menagerie, you know, her new haircut. Pure escapism. The gambler wants action, not money. D.W. and I know this.

I caught this movie on HBO in 1988-15 years later, I can still sit through it from beginning to end with out being the least bored. It is one of my favorite great movies that few people seem to know about.
Debra Winger is perfect as feisty Government agent, Alex, who notices a pattern and sets out to find the Black Widow-Theresa Russell, who reminds me a lot of Kathleen Turner in "Body Heat".
I would like to see more of her movies, as her portrayal of the woman Alex hunts down, is complex and compelling.
There are enough twists and turns to always keep your attention, and as other reviewers note, the scenery is spectacular.
The peripheral actors are well cast, and you find yourself caring about every one in the movie...and wondering what makes the Black Widow tick.

You can just about forget everyone else in this film other than Debra Winger and Theresa Russell. This sexy film is basically a two person film noir shot in bright colors, some of it in Hawaii. It is filled with excitement and seduction. Both the leads are wonderful to watch, their chemistry magnificent in this Bob Rafelson (Man Trouble, Five Easy Pieces) film.

Debra Winger is 'Alex' Barnes, bogged down in a government desk job dealing with statistics. But when she sees a pattern of deaths that lead to the icy beauty Theresa Russell she becomes obsessed with catching a killer. Theresa Russell, who has used more names than Jason Bourne, is just as smart as she is sexy, and almost the entire film is one long seduction scene as Russell spins her web around Alex.

It seems a lot of rich men have suddenly died on Russell and Alex knows why. She is what is called a "Black Widow", a woman who mates and then kills. No one has found any evidence to prove it however, and Alex's attempts to catch her at it becomes murky as a seduction begins to take place.

The locations and the stars are beautiful and as Winger and Russell circle each other in this game with deadly stakes you can't take your eyes off them. Winger's Alex is smart and determined but vulnerable and Russell gives a flawless and sexy performance as a smart and icy beauty with a heart full of venom.

The electricity between the two characters jumps off the screen. The pool scene where they first meet gives us an indication of what is to come as Alex attempts to get close to Russell, with some unexpected twists. The formost of these is a scene when Alex gives Russell a Black Widow pendant, a spider who mates and kills it's lover. Russells response, which includes her grabbing Alex and kissing her, plays with the fragile but determined Alex as she begins to doubt herself.

You don't want to miss this one. It's gorgeous to look at and has two riveting performances from Winger and Russell. You can't find a better one than this....

Running neck-in-neck perhaps with her work in Black Widow, this is Ms. Winger's best performance to date. Low-key and a little bit rambling, the movie's portrayal of an ordinary woman's descent into the L.A. drug culture makes you feel uncomfortable and squirmy. I hated the film when I first saw it back in 1985; yet something about it stayed with me, got under my skin, wouldn't let go --until in 1990 I rented the video, and realized "Oh my god, this film is a masterpiece." It's odd, slow and expectation-defiant. Favorite moment: Winger, alone at her piano, hovering over an out-of-tune key because the sound brings back what she liked best about Mike.

Contrary to Mr. Maltin, the late director James Bridges never made a finer movie than this in his all-too-short career.

This film is thoughtful, engaging, intriguing and mysterious. Debra Winger is both innocent and dangeriously loyal to herself and her friend, Mike. Anyone who has ever tried to save someone they love, or seeks answers to the sudden, tragic loss of that someone, will identify instantly with Winger's character.

The romantic comedy is a very popular genre at the movies right now. I suppose that it always has been. In "Forget Paris" the emphasis is on the comedy, rather than the romance, and it provides a nice counterpart to some of the others.

The story is structured in a fashion that will be familiar to Woody Allen fans. Three couples are sitting around at dinner telling stories about their absent friends Mickey (Billy Crystal) and Ellen (Debra Winger).

Mickey and Ellen first meet in Paris through a rather amazing set of circumstances. (I won't give it away.) They fall in love, but Mickey has to go back to work-he's an NBA referee-so he leaves. He pines for Ellen, though, and it starts to affect his work. (There's a great scene with him and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.) Finally, Mickey returns to Paris and they resume where they left off.

Eventually, they decide to get married and Ellen quits her job and moves to California with Mickey. That's when the problems begin. Mickey is constantly on the road, so Ellen gets lonely, plus she hates her new job. Basically, she's miserable.

Trying to make things work out between them, Mickey quits his job and stays home with Ellen. In the meantime, she has gotten a great job that she loves so she's never home. Now Mickey is miserable.

If you suspect that somehow everything works out in the end, you've probably seen this kind of movie before. No matter. A romantic comedy succeeds or fails, not based on its originality or unpredictability, but on its charm, humor and the charisma of its characters. On that basis, "Forget Paris" succeeds.

Billy Crystal produced, directed and co-wrote the film, in addition to starring in it, so it's his picture all the way. With that kind of pedigree, you know it's going to be funny, and it is. Sometimes hilariously so.

It also means that there will be moments when the story or the characters will be sacrificed in order to serve the humor-and there are. There are too many scenes where Crystal cracks jokes and all Winger is given to do is laugh at them. That's too bad. An actress of her talent and intelligence should have a character that is more worthy of her.

There will be natural comparisons between this film and "When Harry Met Sally...," which also starred Billy Crystal. Although this picture is not as good as that one, it is still enjoyable.

Genuinely funny and original! From the opening, you'll be both touched and thoroughly entertained by this truly romantic comedy!

Billy Crystal is wonderful as a slightly neurotic basketball referee and Debra Winger is convincing as an ascending career woman who finds herself torn between love, Paris, and her job.

Highly recommended.

I have never been a huge fan of romantic comedies, but Forget Paris is a rare exception. The film stands out because of its superior writing, structure, and performances. Billy Crystal is in perfect form, and Debra Winger plays the perfect foil, showcasing her rarely-seen comedic talents. The supporting cast fills out the ensemble nicely.

I found the structure of the movie entirely engaging. Although the film could have been told as a straight story, the flashback devices kept me pulled into the story. In sum, this is not a film to be missed--even those who don't particularly care for romantic comedies will enjoy it.

The romantic comedy is a very popular genre at the movies right now. I suppose that it always has been. In "Forget Paris" the emphasis is on the comedy, rather than the romance, and it provides a nice counterpart to some of the others.

The story is structured in a fashion that will be familiar to Woody Allen fans. Three couples are sitting around at dinner telling stories about their absent friends Mickey (Billy Crystal) and Ellen (Debra Winger).

Mickey and Ellen first meet in Paris through a rather amazing set of circumstances. (I won't give it away.) They fall in love, but Mickey has to go back to work-he's an NBA referee-so he leaves. He pines for Ellen, though, and it starts to affect his work. (There's a great scene with him and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.) Finally, Mickey returns to Paris and they resume where they left off.

Eventually, they decide to get married and Ellen quits her job and moves to California with Mickey. That's when the problems begin. Mickey is constantly on the road, so Ellen gets lonely, plus she hates her new job. Basically, she's miserable.

Trying to make things work out between them, Mickey quits his job and stays home with Ellen. In the meantime, she has gotten a great job that she loves so she's never home. Now Mickey is miserable.

If you suspect that somehow everything works out in the end, you've probably seen this kind of movie before. No matter. A romantic comedy succeeds or fails, not based on its originality or unpredictability, but on its charm, humor and the charisma of its characters. On that basis, "Forget Paris" succeeds.

Billy Crystal produced, directed and co-wrote the film, in addition to starring in it, so it's his picture all the way. With that kind of pedigree, you know it's going to be funny, and it is. Sometimes hilariously so.

It also means that there will be moments when the story or the characters will be sacrificed in order to serve the humor-and there are. There are too many scenes where Crystal cracks jokes and all Winger is given to do is laugh at them. That's too bad. An actress of her talent and intelligence should have a character that is more worthy of her.

There will be natural comparisons between this film and "When Harry Met Sally...," which also starred Billy Crystal. Although this picture is not as good as that one, it is still enjoyable.

Genuinely funny and original! From the opening, you'll be both touched and thoroughly entertained by this truly romantic comedy!

Billy Crystal is wonderful as a slightly neurotic basketball referee and Debra Winger is convincing as an ascending career woman who finds herself torn between love, Paris, and her job.

Highly recommended.

I have never been a huge fan of romantic comedies, but Forget Paris is a rare exception. The film stands out because of its superior writing, structure, and performances. Billy Crystal is in perfect form, and Debra Winger plays the perfect foil, showcasing her rarely-seen comedic talents. The supporting cast fills out the ensemble nicely.

I found the structure of the movie entirely engaging. Although the film could have been told as a straight story, the flashback devices kept me pulled into the story. In sum, this is not a film to be missed--even those who don't particularly care for romantic comedies will enjoy it.

The romantic comedy is a very popular genre at the movies right now. I suppose that it always has been. In "Forget Paris" the emphasis is on the comedy, rather than the romance, and it provides a nice counterpart to some of the others.

The story is structured in a fashion that will be familiar to Woody Allen fans. Three couples are sitting around at dinner telling stories about their absent friends Mickey (Billy Crystal) and Ellen (Debra Winger).

Mickey and Ellen first meet in Paris through a rather amazing set of circumstances. (I won't give it away.) They fall in love, but Mickey has to go back to work-he's an NBA referee-so he leaves. He pines for Ellen, though, and it starts to affect his work. (There's a great scene with him and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.) Finally, Mickey returns to Paris and they resume where they left off.

Eventually, they decide to get married and Ellen quits her job and moves to California with Mickey. That's when the problems begin. Mickey is constantly on the road, so Ellen gets lonely, plus she hates her new job. Basically, she's miserable.

Trying to make things work out between them, Mickey quits his job and stays home with Ellen. In the meantime, she has gotten a great job that she loves so she's never home. Now Mickey is miserable.

If you suspect that somehow everything works out in the end, you've probably seen this kind of movie before. No matter. A romantic comedy succeeds or fails, not based on its originality or unpredictability, but on its charm, humor and the charisma of its characters. On that basis, "Forget Paris" succeeds.

Billy Crystal produced, directed and co-wrote the film, in addition to starring in it, so it's his picture all the way. With that kind of pedigree, you know it's going to be funny, and it is. Sometimes hilariously so.

It also means that there will be moments when the story or the characters will be sacrificed in order to serve the humor-and there are. There are too many scenes where Crystal cracks jokes and all Winger is given to do is laugh at them. That's too bad. An actress of her talent and intelligence should have a character that is more worthy of her.

There will be natural comparisons between this film and "When Harry Met Sally...," which also starred Billy Crystal. Although this picture is not as good as that one, it is still enjoyable.

Genuinely funny and original! From the opening, you'll be both touched and thoroughly entertained by this truly romantic comedy!

Billy Crystal is wonderful as a slightly neurotic basketball referee and Debra Winger is convincing as an ascending career woman who finds herself torn between love, Paris, and her job.

Highly recommended.

I have never been a huge fan of romantic comedies, but Forget Paris is a rare exception. The film stands out because of its superior writing, structure, and performances. Billy Crystal is in perfect form, and Debra Winger plays the perfect foil, showcasing her rarely-seen comedic talents. The supporting cast fills out the ensemble nicely.

I found the structure of the movie entirely engaging. Although the film could have been told as a straight story, the flashback devices kept me pulled into the story. In sum, this is not a film to be missed--even those who don't particularly care for romantic comedies will enjoy it.

A respected, South Carolina high school football coach puts his reputation on the line by extending kindness to an illiterate, mentally challenged young black man. Coach Jones sees him, day after day, pushing a shopping cart filled with simple treasures past the practice field. After his players abuse the poor guy by tying him up and locking him in an equipment shed, Jones becomes more intimately involved in mentoring the boy, who becomes known as Radio (so nicknamed for his passion for radios and Motown music).

Radio lives on the outskirts of town with his loving mother. She describes him as the "same as everybody else, just a bit slower than most." Radio assists with football practices and, during home games, whips up the crowd with his contagious enthusiasm. His pure heart earns him the affection of students and staff alike, though not everyone appreciates his childlike quirkiness. Some heartless, well-connected people would rather mock or marginalize Radio than try to understand him. That's when the loyalty of those close to him gets put to the test. Set in 1976 and inspired by a true story, Radio preaches compassion, challenges viewers to rethink their priorities, and testifies to the value of every human life.

diversion. Yet as much as I loved the film's heart and its desire to communicate meaningful messages (not to mention a fun hit parade of '70s pop tunes), the dramatic ebbs and flows of the story felt too calculated and streamlined. I wanted more. What I saw made me long for better developed subplots and deeper insight into the supporting characters. Those are the things that make films like Remember the Titans, The Rookie and Hoosiers special and worthy of repeated viewing. Here, it seems everyone onscreen exists to advance Radio's tale efficiently, but are only as deep as their dialogue. For example, Mary Helen comes across as a model teenager. We see no serious struggles. No peril. No interactions with peers that require us to root extra hard for Dad to rescue her by reprioritizing his life. So Mom's vague concern that they may be "losing her" lacks drama, as does Dad's ultimate decision to reconnect with her. It's a noble gesture, but I wasn't breathing a huge sigh of relief. That's just one example. In short, the filmmakers are so focused on the Coach/Radio arc that they miss opportunities to make everyone around them interesting.

Another frustration is that we feel for Radio, not with him. Everything we learn about him we either hear from someone else or observe as bystanders. We never really benefit from his perspective (unlike, say, Forrest Gump). He's a human puppy dog who makes us laugh by jumping through "cute" hoops. Because we lack an intimate connection with the struggling young man, he's more of a symbol than a three-dimensional human being.

Don't get me wrong, Radio isn't a bad movie. It's just that it could have been much more satisfying with fewer contrivances (such as stock villains invented to personify rumblings of antagonism, yet who never feel truly threatening) and more character development. The result is a good after-school special, not a brilliant, richly textured feature film. Even so, its positive themes compensate for any loss of style points. Patience. Kindness. Compassion. Justice. The value of every human life. Our culture needs to be reminded that these things matter. Families hungry for a movie that shares their traditional values will be glad to find Radio operating on that frequency.

\

I HATE Cuba Gooding Jr. Until I saw this movie I thought he was one of the worst actors working in Hollywood today. I thought he ruined every movie he was ever involved in. I had made my judgment about this movie long before I saw it; it looked like just another sickeningly sweet movie that Hollywood is far too fond of making. I thought that would take the Disney approach to sports movies and be populated with convenient stock characters. This is not the case. "Radio" has been accused of a lot, it seems as though every review I've read in the press has commented that "Radio" is yet another movie about the mentally challenged teaching the rest of us the virtues of simplicity. I disagree; "Radio" is not so much about the virtues of simplicity as it is about the hazards of artificial complexity. There is a distinct difference between the two. It doesn't encourage us to be like Radio and disregard all of life's great complexities, like so many other movies of this type do. Instead, it only asks us not to impose complexity just because we can.
The other criticism I've heard again and again is that Ed Harris's character does not do enough to explain his actions. It appears that these two criticisms go hand in hand. I believe that Harris's character does more than enough to explain his actions, perhaps even a little too much. Take your pick, your choices are: he wants to find a way to make up for the cruelty of his players, or he wants to make up for his own inaction against an injustice he witnessed in childhood, or just because he "figures it's the right thing to do". If he was just serving a penance as the first two options suggest, he could have quit long ago. The answer is that Coach Jones knows it's the right thing to do, we can see the quiet righteousness in his eyes from the very first moment he's on screen. He sees things very clearly through those eyes, and it is because of his constant, stoic clarity that he is able to overcome the attempts of others to make the issue overly complex. This is what is so compelling about "Radio". Its message is very simple, look into your heart, and into the hearts of others and you will always know which course to take. It's a message that so often goes unheeded, especially when it comes to dealing with someone who does not fit perfectly into a mold, regardless of disability. These people are sometimes just left behind, or at worst their spirits are crushed along the way. This is done at the hands of a bureaucracy which my it's very nature has no soul and thus cannot recognize one. Radio's biggest problem is not his disability, but rather the fact that no one in power knew quite what to do with him. The answer is to do what you know is right, and don't muddy the waters with prejudice.

Radio is a movie based on a true story that is vastly improved because of the excellent performances by its cast. Football coach Harold Jones sees a young mentally challenged young man walk by his team's practice everyday and begins to take an interest in him. Jones invites him to help out at practice and basically be part of the team. Soon the young man, James Robert Kennedy aka Radio, begins to have an influence on all those around him. Radio even goes to school by helping out Coach Jones and going to classes himself. Some people in the small South Carolina town do not approve of Radio and begin to make steps to have him examined by professionals and possibly move him out of town. Radio is a very good movie from beginning to end that will keep you riveted throughout. The story is great, the acting even better, and the emotions are very real as you watch this movie.

Cuba Gooding JR is great as James Robert Kennedy, aka Radio, the mentally challenged young man who becomes involved with the town's football team and its coach, Harold Jones. Jones is played by Ed Harris in a very good role for him as the thoughtful coach who is suffering through family problems of his own. The relationship between Radio and Jones is the most important in the movie and easily the very best. Some scenes are truly touching as the two men interact with each other. The film also stars Alfre Woodward as the school principal, Debra Winger as Jones' wife, and several other familiar faces who all turn in good roles. Radio is a very good movie that benefits greatly from the impressive performances turned in by its two main stars. This is a movie that may make you cry several times, but it is very enjoyable and well worth a watch. Go check out Radio!

Well the cinematography is great. After only about 10 minutes though, you can see that this has been adapted from a novel and a literary one at that. Literary novels are notoriously difficult to adapt to the screen precisely because they draw attention to themselves as 'literature', their expression is intimately linked to the art-form in which they were created.

The main characters seem to be on a mission to recapture some of the adventure that existed in pre-war America by entering the 'otherness' of North Africa. The realities of life there come to sour their rather naive utopian vision. I would resist from dissing a movie just because it doesn't have an identifiable plot (most of our real lives don't have one anyway), but most of these characters are very difficult to emphatise with. Debra Winger's transformation at the end of the film where she subsumes herself in Port's idealism, carrying on his adventurous nature as a way of coping with his loss is an interesting character development. But I'm sure this transformation is much better explained in the novel. On screen, without previous knowledge of the story, it comes across as inexplicible.

No movie company would dream of financing a film script as rambling as this one if it was made by a first time director. This seems to be a vanity picture indulged in by Warners after the success of Bertolucci's 'The Last Emperor'.

Paul Bowles' novel of self-discovery in the Sahara is one of my favorite books of all time. So I looked forward with great anticipation to Bernardo Bertolucci's film version. The desert makes a great setting for film as amply illustrated by such films as Lawrence of Arabia and The English Patient. Although Bertolucci and cinematographer succeed brilliantly in evoking the images and atmosphere of postwar North Africa, on other levels the effort is decidedly mixed.

For me the flaws lie primarily with the casting of the leads. John Malkovich and Debra Winger both turn in earnestly game performances as Port and Kit Moresby, a couple of self-centered, idle rich New Yorkers who come to Africa with the purpose of having an adventure to spice up their 10-year-old marriage and distract themselves from their increasing emotional distance. Both Port and Kit pride themselves on being "travellers" rather than mere tourists, as they explain rather pompously to their travelling companion, a mutual and barely tolerated acquaintance who has his eye on Kit. All three travel with a ridiculous amount of luggage and it is soon clear that style rather than substance rule Kit and Port's world and that they are just drifting aimlessly through life without any clear goals because they have the financial means to do so.

Kit and Port are figures straight out of Fitzgerald--young, stylish, self-absorbed and devoid of any moral compass. Malkovich is badly miscast as the urbane and intellectual Port, a man struggling to retain his preconceived ideas of how to live in a completely alien atmosphere where things are rapidly falling apart. Malkovich has none of Port's slightly girlish beauty or polished manners that Bowles describes, and his flat, light voice is annoying and makes throwaways of some of Bowles' excellent dialogue. Malkovich excels at playing malevolent characters, and always exudes a sinister aura, which is totally wrong for Port. Port lacks backbone and empathy with others, being too enamored of what goes on inside his own head, but he is not evil.

Debra Winger fares a little better as Kit, whose personal oddysey becomes the focus of the story. She too is physically wrong for the part--dark and earthy where Bowles' Kit is fair, fragile and projects an air of helplessness, at least in the early part of the book. Winger is too gutsy for Kit, and also too much of a mature woman. Her attempts at disingeniousness seem forced and silly, since with her whiskey laugh and voluptuous limbs, she is obviously in charge of herself and seems unlikely to be the helpless victim of circumstances that Kit is. Her husky Midwestern-ness is also at odds with the cultured Eastern society debutante of Bowles' book. She looks fabulous in the period costumes, however, and as her character goes deeper into the desert, both literally and figuratively speaking, the character grows into Winger, rather than the other way around.

Cambell Scott, Timothy Spall and Jill Bennett are strong in supporting roles, at times threatening to overshadow the two leads. Ryuichi Sakamoto's score is haunting but at times too jarring for the action. The dialog is at times heavy and the motivations opaque; the author (who has a cameo in the film as a mysterious blind man glimpsed in a bar--he also provides narration) has written a story of a journey that is more interior than exterior; as a result it does not translate easily to film. I highly recommend reading the novel prior to viewing the movie so you can tell what's going on in this visually gorgeous yet unsettling and ultimately unsatisfying film.

Some love it and some hate it, but it is nearly impossible to deny that this is compelling filmmaking. Yes, the film does have many different elements from Paul Bowles' novel, but Bertolucci's work is equally mesmerizing and carries one on the same strange journey into north Africa.

Some see Debra Winger as miscast in the role of Kit. I think the three stars, Malkovich, Winger and Campbell Scott are nearly perfect in the film and lend great credibility to this esoteric telling of a complicated and deteriorating relationship. This is one of those films where, in addition to the three leads, there exists a fourth central character...the land itself. If you want to feel as if you have journeyed through the colorful canyons, dusty cities and great desert regions of northern Africa (not always in first-class comfort, mind you) "The Sheltering Sky" will take you there. Don't try too hard to make sense of everything which is happening externally and internally to the characters, as the storytelling is often elliptical, just absorb the simultaneous beauty and tragedy of this unique experience.

Well the cinematography is great. After only about 10 minutes though, you can see that this has been adapted from a novel and a literary one at that. Literary novels are notoriously difficult to adapt to the screen precisely because they draw attention to themselves as 'literature', their expression is intimately linked to the art-form in which they were created.

The main characters seem to be on a mission to recapture some of the adventure that existed in pre-war America by entering the 'otherness' of North Africa. The realities of life there come to sour their rather naive utopian vision. I would resist from dissing a movie just because it doesn't have an identifiable plot (most of our real lives don't have one anyway), but most of these characters are very difficult to emphatise with. Debra Winger's transformation at the end of the film where she subsumes herself in Port's idealism, carrying on his adventurous nature as a way of coping with his loss is an interesting character development. But I'm sure this transformation is much better explained in the novel. On screen, without previous knowledge of the story, it comes across as inexplicible.

No movie company would dream of financing a film script as rambling as this one if it was made by a first time director. This seems to be a vanity picture indulged in by Warners after the success of Bertolucci's 'The Last Emperor'.

Paul Bowles' novel of self-discovery in the Sahara is one of my favorite books of all time. So I looked forward with great anticipation to Bernardo Bertolucci's film version. The desert makes a great setting for film as amply illustrated by such films as Lawrence of Arabia and The English Patient. Although Bertolucci and cinematographer succeed brilliantly in evoking the images and atmosphere of postwar North Africa, on other levels the effort is decidedly mixed.

For me the flaws lie primarily with the casting of the leads. John Malkovich and Debra Winger both turn in earnestly game performances as Port and Kit Moresby, a couple of self-centered, idle rich New Yorkers who come to Africa with the purpose of having an adventure to spice up their 10-year-old marriage and distract themselves from their increasing emotional distance. Both Port and Kit pride themselves on being "travellers" rather than mere tourists, as they explain rather pompously to their travelling companion, a mutual and barely tolerated acquaintance who has his eye on Kit. All three travel with a ridiculous amount of luggage and it is soon clear that style rather than substance rule Kit and Port's world and that they are just drifting aimlessly through life without any clear goals because they have the financial means to do so.

Kit and Port are figures straight out of Fitzgerald--young, stylish, self-absorbed and devoid of any moral compass. Malkovich is badly miscast as the urbane and intellectual Port, a man struggling to retain his preconceived ideas of how to live in a completely alien atmosphere where things are rapidly falling apart. Malkovich has none of Port's slightly girlish beauty or polished manners that Bowles describes, and his flat, light voice is annoying and makes throwaways of some of Bowles' excellent dialogue. Malkovich excels at playing malevolent characters, and always exudes a sinister aura, which is totally wrong for Port. Port lacks backbone and empathy with others, being too enamored of what goes on inside his own head, but he is not evil.

Debra Winger fares a little better as Kit, whose personal oddysey becomes the focus of the story. She too is physically wrong for the part--dark and earthy where Bowles' Kit is fair, fragile and projects an air of helplessness, at least in the early part of the book. Winger is too gutsy for Kit, and also too much of a mature woman. Her attempts at disingeniousness seem forced and silly, since with her whiskey laugh and voluptuous limbs, she is obviously in charge of herself and seems unlikely to be the helpless victim of circumstances that Kit is. Her husky Midwestern-ness is also at odds with the cultured Eastern society debutante of Bowles' book. She looks fabulous in the period costumes, however, and as her character goes deeper into the desert, both literally and figuratively speaking, the character grows into Winger, rather than the other way around.

Cambell Scott, Timothy Spall and Jill Bennett are strong in supporting roles, at times threatening to overshadow the two leads. Ryuichi Sakamoto's score is haunting but at times too jarring for the action. The dialog is at times heavy and the motivations opaque; the author (who has a cameo in the film as a mysterious blind man glimpsed in a bar--he also provides narration) has written a story of a journey that is more interior than exterior; as a result it does not translate easily to film. I highly recommend reading the novel prior to viewing the movie so you can tell what's going on in this visually gorgeous yet unsettling and ultimately unsatisfying film.

Some love it and some hate it, but it is nearly impossible to deny that this is compelling filmmaking. Yes, the film does have many different elements from Paul Bowles' novel, but Bertolucci's work is equally mesmerizing and carries one on the same strange journey into north Africa.

Some see Debra Winger as miscast in the role of Kit. I think the three stars, Malkovich, Winger and Campbell Scott are nearly perfect in the film and lend great credibility to this esoteric telling of a complicated and deteriorating relationship. This is one of those films where, in addition to the three leads, there exists a fourth central character...the land itself. If you want to feel as if you have journeyed through the colorful canyons, dusty cities and great desert regions of northern Africa (not always in first-class comfort, mind you) "The Sheltering Sky" will take you there. Don't try too hard to make sense of everything which is happening externally and internally to the characters, as the storytelling is often elliptical, just absorb the simultaneous beauty and tragedy of this unique experience.