Um Momento, Uma Vida

"Bobby Deerfield" enjoys,so to speak ,a very low rating on the site ,which is probably unfair.Pacino's usual characters and Bobby Deerfield are worlds apart.And coming after the brilliant " dog day afternoon" it could only be a let down.

I saw the movie when it was released and even at the time it seemed rather obsolete and old-fashioned.Adapted from an Erich Maria Remarque novel,it mixed a Douglas Sirkesque melodrama with French nouvelle vague with a bit of the long Cassavetes-like conversations thrown it. It's European to the core.Besides,the two actresses are Swiss (Keller) and French (Duperey).The former is the only interesting character of the movie but it's an endearing one:a short chat with a nurse tells us about her health ,but it will be an hour and a half before Pacino learns it.Keller's joie de vivre is infectious and sometimes the things soar.But it never really lasts and some scenes are boring.The metaphors are a bit ponderous ,as Keller is off on a balloon trip.The races -Deerfield is a race driver- are dully filmed and won't convince "Grand Prix"'s fans.

The best scenes are to be found in the hospital where Deerfield pays a visit to an injured friend,and then the small trip through the splendid landscapes of Switzerland .

Although BD cannot match Pollack's best works (they shoot horses don't they?;Jeremiah Johnson;This property is condemned)it's a whole lot better than later mediocre thrillers like "the firm".

Boredom, ennui, and ridiculous method acting (yes, even from Al Pacino) combine to make THE worst movie experience I have ever had. I found absolutely nothing to relate to with any of the characters. The cinematography was among the least imaginative ever. And, the nonsensical script and sophomoric dialogue are even worse than the acting and direction -- and that's not easy to achieve. What a total mess!!!!

Bobby Deerfield is not your average romantic drama especially when compared to the recent phase of Rom-Com's sweeping the screens at the cinemas.

Firstly, Al Pacino is at his best, highly intense and more importantly convincing as a character to accept. This is not surprising as his two other significant films of that decade were the masterful The Godfather and Godfather Part II. There seems to be something compelling in his role in this film which i cannot grasp to identify to you. Maybe because his co-star heightens our interest by their exchange of witty dialogue although i would point towards his stern expressions and calm voice which can explode in his characters few moments of glory.

Secondly, this film is not for the mass popcorn audience, the direction is obtuse and could be compared to the 'Art film' style that we struggle to view at all in popular culture. This is were the 'original' element of my comment of Bobby Deerfield spurs from. It is the fact that the mass audience wouldn't know what to do with the arbitrary meanings revealed. It is usually clear cut in 'Hollywood'.

To finish up, the romance and the character sparring is worth the time of a person who wants to be inspired or possibly take something away from a film that will last longer than the time it takes to see it.

Al Pacino is BOBBY DEERFIELD in this touching and moving film about a race car driver in a indifferent marriage who falls in love with Lillian (Marthe Keller). Deerfield buries his feelings and forgets his past until a reckless and passionate woman (Keller) who also lives in death's shadow shows him life's possibilities to the fullest. Beautiful scenes shot in France and Italy make this film even more romantic as well. As Pacino said during the filming of Bobby Deerfield, "I might have been closer to that character, what he was going through, than any character I've played". Why this film is not out on dvd is beyond me, it is fantastic. Funny and touchingly romantic. This was during Pacino's best years.

I'm surprised to see it's actually not a racing movie but a love story, and a rather good one and among the few that did Pacino. Sure, for the asphalt lover, you will have a excellent introspective of a pilot(the danger, the uselessness of making circles) and a good retrospective of what was F1 in the late 70s. But, it's above all a dramatic romance that happens in Europa (Paris and Firenze essentially).

As it's an early Pacino, he's the nervous, a bit cold and not smiling easily actor of that period. What's interesting is that her girlfriend will change him as a more cool, compassionate that's actually the old Pacino. The good thing also is that the girlfriend is very funny, free, careless and it's a big change from the usual romance, even as if Al says, she's a bit difficult to follow. In addition, Marthe Keller is a fine woman and it's also the proof that charm doesn't mean sex appeal. Another thing that catches my eyes is the carefree way of life of those times(drinking, smoking) and the flashy fashion. In a way, it's like the rebellious generation of the sixties has reaches adulthood without losing their conviction. So, explain why now, in the 10s, everything is forbidden and it's the time of the dark suits!