First off, there is only 1 director who could pull this film off, & unfortunately he is dead: Stanley Kubrick. That noted, anyone attempting what Philip Kaufman tried is going to have their hands full. Clive Owen is quite good as Hemingway. Nicole Kidman is even better as Gellhorn. I think she is the most brilliant actress alive, bar none. Even though she is in her 50s, she still has the body of a goddess. Just maybe a 1/2" shy of 6' tall, with a 22" waist. Unbelievable. Even better, she is so truly smart. For me, the best of all, she is like a modern day Katherine Hepburn who is the only actor to be nominated 12 times for Best Actress Oscars, & winning 4 of them. No one else has done either of these things. The closest is Daniel Day-Lewis, & he has won 3 Best Actor Oscars. However, no one comes close to her 12 nominations. The love scene is very good. Nicole Kidman never uses a body double, nor should she. The way the film is shot, it is almost impossible to come off without some pretense. Which brings me back to the first thing I wrote: Only Kubrick could have made this film & been completely authentic. On a serious down note, I thought Robert Duvall was cast badly as a Russian General. He sounds goofy. Otherwise, take it for what it is: A docudrama made about one of the greatest authors who ever lived and the torrid affair he had with Ms. Gellhorn, who was no slouch herself. Give it a chance.
Review of Hemingway & Gellhorn
