Customer Reviews

Fires Within

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

He is,as always,mesmerizing! The story is a standard soapy pot-boiler that borrows rather heavily in my opinion from "Casablanca". But Scacchi is no Bergman and Smits did not compel me to root for him, nor did I see in him the nobility I sensed from Victor Lazlo.
But D'Onofrio smolders! He suffers beautifully and when he crashes the party I thought of "Wuthering Heights". (What a Heathcliff that man would make!)
How could any woman turn him away?

I too bought this on VHS for Vincent D'Onofrio. My only negative comment about his performance is that there's not enough of it! I'll say right here and now that I'm not a big fan of Smits or Scacchi, and D'Onofrio overpowers them every time he's on screen. It's a beautiful story, and I can see why director Gillian Armstrong was attracted to it - it is a love story with a bit of real-life depth (rather than those soapy ones where the ridiculous problems are created by the characters for lack of imagination - Julia Roberts films, anyone?). That being said, the two lead roles needed to be played by stronger actors, and ones that could keep up with D'Onofrio vivacity. Worth a look for fans.

I bought this video only because Vincent D'Onofrio is in it. I had previously purchased The Whole Wide World which is an amazingly wonderful,mostly unseen film of immense power and D'Onofrio's portrayal of Robert Howard in that film just blew me away. He has to be the most underrated actor in films!! He is also one of the most romantic film kissers ever!- He likes to do character roles and is superb in them as well but I wanted to see him in another romantic film and Fires Within looked interesting. He plays the lover, not the husband, and is so sexy and natural that Jimmy Smits pales by comparison. The ending is unbelievable and nearly spoils the movie for me, but I will probably see it over many times just because of D'Onofrio's performance.

However, see this movie! You won't be sorry. And don't miss The Whole Wide World. It is in my all-time top ten dramas. First,probably.

Okay so D'Onofrio is gone from Law and Order and I'm realizing I need a little bit more. I put his name in at movie sites and I see he's in movies that I've seen before and I can't remember him. (Don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing for him but since he is crowned the chameleon... I think it's because I didn't pay enough attention when it counted) I have noticed him in some movies and could tell I'd seen him before but it wasn't until Law and Order that I got familiar with his face.

So I watch this film and what I missed was the time spent with D'Onofrio's character and the mother and daughter. I would have liked to see some drama between the daughter and her birth father because frankly Sam raised her. I would have liked to see the mother bring Nestor home and set him up in his own place and still stay with Sam, and have Nestor woo her back from his home. I would have liked to see Nestor get involved with the gun runners albeit unknowingly. I would have liked to see the mother return to Nestor maybe without the daughter (although she's too young only 8) because the daughter refused to go. I would have liked to see Nestor get arrested again and ask Sam to take care of his family

I'm not surprised as to why Vincent made a permanent relationship with Greta. Girlfriend is hot. After I look at all of Vincent's movies, I'm going to watch all of hers.

I also wondered whether there might have been a real life fight over this woman on the set? Anybody know? I think Jimmy was married already.

Movie story,not realistic,it did not potray the Cuban people escaping communism back in the 60's in a possitive way!!!However, I enjoyed the movie...It did have SOME good parts, that I was able to relate with! But I have to tell you, That I love Jimmy Smits!

This is a movie I had on VCR. I just wanted it on DVD. I love this movie.

With blue eyes and near blond hair Greta Scacchi just doesn't seem very Cuban?
The film seems to be trying to get Cubans in Miami to not resist Castro?
The film has a flimsy triangle of the boat owner who rescued the wife and the
journalist who was a political prisoner. Having just seen a film
about "disappeared" in Latin America this film is a real contrast.
Both sides seem bent on getting rid of all opposition by
any and all means. A large number of Cubans are in a Ghetto
in Miami and will probably remain there. It is in the interest
of the US government that they don't make any waves.
So I take this film with the non-Cuban ( Italian) lead as
being a propaganda film. The US government is waiting for Castro to die.