|
"Harrison's Flowers" Movie Review |
||||||||||||||
|
|
 Photos © 2002 Universal Studios, Inc. - All Rights Reserved. |
|||||||||||||
Director Elie Chouraqui's graphic look at war-torn Yugoslavia adroitly mixes a gripping love story with unrelentingly violent scenes of the brutality of war. Serving up a realistic depiction of the dangerous work undergone by photojournalists and reporters deep inside hostile territory, “Harrison's Flowers” strikes a chilling chord - especially with the recent killing of “Wall Street Journal” reporter Daniel Pearl still so fresh in our minds.
Andie MacDowell stars as Sarah Lloyd, a photo editor at “Newsweek” magazine and devoted wife of Harrison Lloyd (David Strathairn), an award-winning “Newsweek” photojournalist. Their lives are in constant upheaval as Harrison's work takes him away from his wife and two young children for extended periods of time. The film focuses on Harrison at the end of his career, as he's trying to retire from dangerous assignments in far-away countries. His editor talks him into staying on for just a short while longer, a decision that will change the course of Harrison and Sarah's lives.
Promising to return in time for his son's upcoming birthday, Harrison takes an assignment to cover what is thought to be a small civil war in Yugoslavia. As fighting escalates and the major news channels begin to cover the war, “Newsweek” receives the devastating news that Harrison has been killed. Sarah rejects the news, convinced that if Harrison were truly dead she would feel a tremendous sense of emptiness in her soul that she does not feel. Desperate to find her husband, Sarah embarks on a trip that tests every ounce of her being and proves that love can conquer all.
“Harrison's Flowers” works because of fine casting, an excellent script, and a storyline that dares to showcase love against a backdrop of death and destruction. The dialogue is simply amazing - it rings true, a feat that is too often outside the grasp of storytellers. The film refrains from preaching about the hopelessness of war, instead focusing intently on each character's fight for survival against immeasurable odds, and their individual reactions to the atrocities they witness during the war.
Andie MacDowell does a fine job as the main character however Adrien Brody steals the film as Kyle Morris, a photojournalist who gets talked into helping Sarah travel into the most hazardous areas of the war-torn country in search of Harrison. Brody's portrayal of a rebellious loner with a carefully cloaked sensitive romantic side is gritty and riveting. Elias Koteas is equally terrific as one of Harrison and Sarah's best friends, prize-winning photojournalist Yeager Pollack. Koteas isn't on screen as much as Brody, but nevertheless his performance lends realism and depth to the film. Brendan Gleeson (as photographer Marc Stevenson) provides the few moments of comic relief. David Strathairn and Andie MacDowell play their roles as husband and wife with a loving tenderness that comes across as genuine. Strathairn doesn't have much screen time but manages to infuse Harrison with enough of a warm personality so that the audience cares when he goes missing early on in the film.
“Harrison's Flowers” doesn't pull any punches - the war scenes make you wince and even turn away. But beyond that, it's a powerful love story told with an honest voice and populated with intriguing characters and unforgettable images.
Overall Grade: B Previous Articles |
||||||||||||||
Explore Hollywood Movies
Must Reads
About.com Special Features
Movie Comedies in 2009
Find out what belly laughs are in store at the 2009 box office. More >
Scrapbook Technique Gallery
Use these ideas to inspire your own uniquely beautiful pages. More >
©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.
All rights reserved.