Review of Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012) by Daniel K — 23 Oct 2012

3: I can't say I remember the name Martha Gellhorn (until now of course), whereas I can't remember not knowing the name Ernest Hemingway, so I guess her fear of turning into a footnote in the life of a great writer has turned out to be very well founded.

It's a bit sanctimonious at times, but overall it is both entertaining and thought provoking. There are certain elements of the film that are very intelligently explored, but other sections that just don't work.

I'd say part of the issue is in the editing. It just doesn't always flow largely because they tried to pack too much into it. Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman give superb performances though, particularly Kidman.

They are layered and nuanced in the extreme. The fact that they have some pregnant material, a solid script, and excellent make-up doesn't hurt of course. This is the kind of film that used to be made for the big screen, but as Hollywood has begun to make fewer and fewer films every year and grown less and less willing to take risks (funny that the story of Hemingway and Gellhorn could be considered a risk), this kind of story has been forced to migrate to the TV screen.

The fact that stars aren't as bankable a draw and only sequels, well-known franchises, and super hero films seem to be a sure thing hasn't helped either. It plays just fine on the TV screen of course (or laptop in my case), but the scale and production values aren't what they would have been 20+ years ago.

I can easily imagine this having the majesty and sweep of an Out of Africa or The English Patient. Their relationship was certainly a complex one and neither seemed to have ended up very happy or fulfilled in the end (they both committed suicide).

Interesting characters to say the least.