A Little Romance (1979)

A little romance

A very boring movie, sorry I bought it! Would not advise anyone to buy it! September 4, 2008

A jewel of romance, don't miss it!!!

A Little Romance is an enchanting film, where we found one of our favorite actresses, Diane Lane, on her debut at the tender age of 14.

The movie is a romance, the first love of a highly intelligent and precocious young woman, daughter of a woman that changes husbands as she changes shoes.

Lauren falls in love with a Parisian boy who sees too many American movies, so many in fact that he has learned to speak the language and can quote the likes of Robert Redford and Humphrey Bogart.

The mother, played by Sally Kellerman, does not approve of the relationship that develops between her daughter and the young man, who she calls a "filthy Frenchman" and she tries to destroy their romance, only to fuel their passion and as with Romeo and Juliet, they set out on an adventure that ends in beautiful Venice, sealing their love with a kiss, exchanged under the famous Bridge of Sighs.

If you have ever traveled to Paris, Verona and Venice you will simply fall in love with this film and with the views of these magnificent locations. Our favorite performance was that of Sr. Laurence Olivier, who meets this young couple and becomes the protector that ensures their ability to run away in search of adventure. Without a doubt... don't miss this jewel!

September 2, 2008

The Sweetest Movie You Will Ever See

I fell in love with this movie when it first came out, and have followed Diane Lane's career as she grew up in the movie business ever since. (I noticed in Unfaithful that she runs the same way she did as a girl.) I've enjoyed having VHS and now DVD copies of it to share with my children as they grow up, and they have fallen in love with it, too. George Roy Hill makes it work on so many levels, esp. the use of music which he did so well in Butch Cassidy and The Sting. The little affecting parts are so much fun: Lauren's ditzy friend and Daniel's "man-of-the-world" Stetson-wearing friend, Lauren's stepfather (Arthur Hill) who understands Lauren better than her self-absorbed mother (Sally Kellerman), Daniel's American-cussing taxi-driving father, the escape via a bike race, and Daniel, the movie lover, having to remind a drunken Broderick Crawford (where did he come from?) of his previous movie roles.

At its heart, what makes A Little Romance work is that it isn't just a teenage love story, it's an adventure that reminds us of our lost youth and not just falling in love for the first time, but the risk-taking and impulsiveness of times gone by when we were young and didn't know any better. The great ending still makes me cry along with Lauren, Daniel and Olivier. BTW, the DVD has a great interview with a mature Diane Lane telling about working with Olivier. I can't recommend this movie more highly if you want to treat yourself.
August 27, 2008

A beautiful little gem!

This is one of those beautifully filmed and well-acted movies that stayed below radar for me these past few decades, only to be recently discovered whilst browsing through my Netflix rental site. What a gem! Diane Lane in her acting debut does an excellent job in her lead role as Lauren, a 13-year-old intelligent, wise beyond her years girl whose affinity for books is shared by a French boy played by Thelonius Bernard. They share similar philosophies and interests and when Lauren's mom throws a fit about Lauren's new boyfriend, the teens decide to run away on a romantic quest. Their destination: Venice, Italy. They have an able co-conspirator in the form of the dashing Sir Laurence Olivier, who aids and abets them in their romantic adventure.

This is truly a lovely love story in its innocence and a portrayal of a magical time in a youngster's life - a time of discovery and first love. Diane Lane and Thelonius Bernard do an able job in credibly portraying two teens in love with each other and in love with adventure. The cinematography is beautiful as is the beguiling score. Highly recommended for die-hard romantics! June 13, 2008

Simple, beautifully done

This is a movie with a simple plot, beautiful images of various places in Europe, a beautiful score featuring the guitar concerto in D by Vivaldi and a wonderful performance by Sir Lawrence Olivier. March 30, 2008

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