"You can't marry Ernest Hemingway...he's a child."      

IN LOVE AND WAR (PG-13) 

In Love and War is set in 1918 wartime Italy, telling the story of a young Ernest Hemingway's (Chris O'Donnell) love affair with an American Red Cross nurse named Agnes von Kurowsky (Sandra Bullock).  After Hemingway is injured in battle, Kurowsky breaks all the rules in her attempts to save his badly wounded leg.  In the healing process, both nurse and patient somehow manage to fall in love, only to be later separated by the winds of war.  What happens then is "the tragedy" of this story, as Hemingway faithfully awaits a reunion with Kurowsky, while Kurowsky finds herself torn between Hemingway and the love of an Italian doctor named Caraciolo (Emilio Bonucci).  Confused, Kurowsky ends the relationship with Hemingway, setting him into a downward spiral of anger and disillusionment--a state she cannot pull him out of when she later attempts to return to him.  Sad story, huh?  

Sad indeed, though not as sad as the film itself.  As much as I had hoped to like In Love and War, I unfortunately found myself extremely disappointed by this movie.  This would-be epic wartime romance directed by Richard Attenborough is thoroughly uninspiring and flat--to the point of being boring--and I was sorry to see Bullock and O'Donnell's talents wasted in such a ho-hum manner. For a much better wartime romance drama, let me recommend a film released just two months ago and currently still playing at some theaters: The English Patient.  Believe me, while sitting through In Love and War, there were many moments when I wished I was watching The English Patient instead.  Consider yourself warned...

Responses from cyberspace--thanks for writing!!

carrie_33_@hotmail.com gives this movie  stars: "I thought this movie was one of the best love stories I have ever seen. The first time I watched it I was so young that I didn't really get it so I went back and watched it again. I realized how much it meant and how much love can ruin lives. I feel so moved whenever I see it, as if I am in the movie and I am agnas... I feel as if I have been in that position before, I just can't explain it. I also think that the movie shows great detail of how the wars wor tragic for families and what I tragic time it was. Watching the movie befre reading some of Ernest Hemingways books made them a lot more understandable too. In the long run this was a great movie and I would definatly give it 5 stars!" (7/17/01)

liz768@hotmail.com gives this movie  stars: "this is one of the saddest movies that i have ever seen yet it really captures my heart in alot of ways. everytime that i see this film i start to bawl..not tears in my eyes, but i really start to cry really hard. it is a really haunting story and every time i think about it i start to cry but yet it was very well done. ~liz" (6/3/01)

Cara gives this movie  stars: "This was so heartbreaking!! I love this movie 5 starts all the way!!!!" (7/27/97)

smilenice1 gives this movie  stars: "In my opinion, this movie is very well shown. It looks at how the War was, and how many victims the nurses really had to treat. The love itself is treated with the foolishness of Chris O'donnell as it should have been, for he only played an 18-year old, and the maturity of Sandra Bullock, as also should have been, played as an intellectual 26-year old. The leading stars play their parts well, although the character of Ernest Hemingway could have been a little more real. Chris O'donnell played it very well, but seemed too excited. The excitement fit an 18-year old boy, but not an 18- year old man in War. The film, however, did not fall because of that, and was quite capturing. I give it 4 stars." (7/14/97)

Maria gives this movie  stars: "I love this movie, it was filled with all four of the human emotions. it had sadness, happiness & love and hate. I did wish that they gotten back together again . but that wouldn't make it a true story would it. I enjoy it enought to see it again. Sandra Bullock is a great actress and I also enjoy Chris O'Donnell." (7/5/97)

Ming4641@Planeteer.com gives this movie  stars. (7/3/97)

Jars41@aol.com gives this movie  stars: "EXCELLENT...I thought this movie was one of the best and i intend to add it to my home video library as soon as it comes out on VHS tape. I don't see how any open-minded human can turn away from a movie like this. I LOVED IT!!! Feel free to e-mail me at Jars41@aol.com if you would like to make comments on what I thought of this wonderfully romantic film." (6/29/97)

Donald Baker gives this movie  stars: "Its was not as good as i thought it would be. It was kind of slow." (6/26/97)