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| always
Year: 1989
Directed:
- Steven Spielberg
Actors/Actresses:
- Richard Dreyfuss
- Holly Hunter
- Marg Helgenberger
An wonderful fantasy drama.
When a daredevil pilot (Oscar-Winner:Richard Dreyfuss), who died, after saving the life of his best friend (John Goodman) and leave behind his darling fiancée (Holly Hunter) until he comes back as a guardian angel to give advice to his Successor (Brad Johnson) but his Successor ended up falling in love with his fiancee, he still loves.
Directed by Four Time Oscar-Winner:Steven Spielberg (Empire of the Sun, Schindler`s List, A.I.-Artifical Intelligence) remade this from a 1947 film named A Guy named Joe. Dreyfuss is in Top-Form here. John Goodman is good in this supporting role, so is Holly Hunter as the second lead of the film. Two-Time Oscar-Winner:Audrey Hepburn (in her last film) is also great as Dreyfuss Guide. DVD has an sharp non-anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) transfer and an excellent Digitally Remastered:Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. This is a touching, funny, life-affrming and lightweight. Fine music score by John Williams (Fiddler on the Roof). Grade:A-.
The master doesn't "Always" get it right.
I love Spielberg movies. He is a director in an echelon all by himself. Much of the negative criticism about his work is that his pictures are too happy: good wins over evil. That is the very reason Spielberg's films are so successful. The catharsis is always complete. However, even Speilberg can't save some films. Such is the case with ALWAYS.
The film stars three great actors (John Goodman, Richard Dreyfuss, and Holly Hunter), has some of the most beautiful natural scenery in any Speilberg film, and a special appearance by Audrey Hepburn. The movie has a great beginning. At first viewing I thought to myself, "This is going to be awesome, a movie about Forest Service pilots and Smoke Jumpers! No one has ever done anything like that before." The great humor during the first thirty minutes (subtly making fun, among other things, of movies and even Speilberg himself) further deluded me. Of course, I knew Richard Dreyfuss' character was going to die, but I thought the movie was then going to focus on how the people in his life coped after his death. I was partially right, but wasn't counting on him to continue starring in the movie as an "unseen" spirit. After his character's final moment alive on Earth, the movie went downhill like a plane on fire. It quickly left its humor and adventure, entering the territory of the non-believable, extremely sappy, romance. From then one out there is very little hope. There are a few memorable scenes: Holly Hunter "cooking" dinner, the dead bus driver who is revived, and the final shot of Richard Dreyfuss walking out of the film. However, these scenes don't feel right together. The feel like different pieces of a jigsaw puzzle glued together: they fit but don't really belong. Even the master can't ALWAYS save a film.
One Of Williams's Most Enchanting Scores
John Williams has created a very beautiful score for, in my opinion, Steven Spielberg's most underappreciated film. Williams's score is very subtle and heavenly since we're talking about a dashing air firefighter (Richard Dreyfuss) who dies while trying to save his best friend (John Goodman), thus leaving behind the woman he loves (Holly Hunter).<BR>After a string of good songs, -The Platters' 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes' is included here, along with a very nice version by J.D. Souther -Williams's score begins with 'Among The Clouds', a lovely piece that has something like an overture before giving way to a full treatment of the main theme, itself repeated in cues like 'Pete And Dorinda', 'Saying Goodbye', and 'Seeing Dorinda'. There is also a fun moment with 'Follow Me' where Williams uses one of his trademark techniques: allegretto, if I'm not mistaken. We have also an element of suspense with 'The Rescue Operation', in which the fire flyers are getting ready to put out a big forest fire; in here what I call the "farewell theme" is heard for the first time when the Dreyfuss character is ready to say goodbye to his loved one. That "farewell theme" is better represented in the final cue 'Dorinda's Solo Flight'. However, we have sort of a "heaven-like motif", especially when the Audrey Hepburn character is present, and I'm not quite satisfied with it; somehow it makes the album feel a bit long.<BR>In general, "Always" is a beautiful and touching score. A fine work by John Williams.
Buy Always at Amazon.com
Buy posters at Allposters.com
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