Customer Reviews

Little Romance [VHS]

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This has to be one of the most under-appreciated movies of all time. George Roy Hill had directed two of the best comedies of the late 60s-early 70s, Butch Cassidy... and The Sting. Then he made this gem...

Two lonely teenagers in Paris, a street-wise French boy and a sheltered American girl, both of whom are hiding their genius IQs in order to fit in, fall in love and realize how lucky they are to have found each other. With help from a romantic old con artist (Lawrence Olivier at his best; he should have done more comedy), they run away to Venice to make their love last forever. They have a wonderful adventure, and along the way, Hill pokes fun at American tourists, pays tongue-in-cheek homage to his own great movies, and shows us how beautiful life can be when you're different.

This endearing tale of young love will bring smiles and tears to both young and old alike. It features two bright, innocent 13 year olds, an American girl and a French boy who fall in love. When her mother disapproves, the pair run off with the aid of an elderly gentleman who take them across Europe for their romantic tryst under the Bridge of Sighs in the ancient city of Venice. Along the way we get to take in the sights of Paris and Verona before finally ending in the magnificient Piazza San Marco and on the gondolas plying the canals of the old city. It features a very young Diane Lane in her screen debut at age 13 and the venerable Lord Laurence Olivier who famously hailed his young costar as "the next Grace Kelly".

The lovely score by George Delerue won an Academy Award but much of the most memorable music within the movie is actually by Antonio Vivaldi. The loveliest piece, titled "Love's Not Like That", which is used throughout the movie to accompany the young lovers is actually the Largo from Vivaldi's Lute Concerto in D, RV 93.

This 2005 release is the same DVD released in January 2003. The film has been beautifully transferred in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 (anamorphic), not 1.85:1 as stated at Amazon's website. Although there are occasional nicks on the print as befits its vintage (1979), it is a generally good and clean transfer with bright, natural colors and crisp images. Sound is a very basic 2.0 mono which although perfectly serviceable does not do true justice to the nuances of the lovely baroque music. Extras are pretty limited. There is an enagaging 7 minute look-back by Diane Lane on the making of the film and her reminiscences of her costars, especially of Lord Larry. There is a single theatrical trailer for the movie (also anamorphic). The rest of the extras consists of Production Notes, awards garnered and a Poster gallery. Even without any extras, the main feature alone is worth the price of the DVD, an unjustly neglected little masterpiece.

I was sorry to have missed this when it came out (in 1979 when I was 18), then forgot about it for many years. The other day I saw a picture of Diane Lane, and remembered this movie, and decided it would be a good family film that my wife and 2 oldest kids (girl 12, boy 15) would enjoy.

It was indeed. I don't have much to add to the glowing reviews others have already given it here; I'll just note that

1) There are so many subtle grace notes that repeated viewings will be well repaid
2) It is not suitable for 10 and under, due to sexual references
3) I wish even more now that I'd seen "A Little Romance" when it came out, its existence in my memory would have enriched my life for the past 24 years

What really makes the movie a classic is bullseye performers by ALL the actors. The hardest kind of character for an actor to play is an extremely intelligent one, only very intelligent actors can do it, and the two leads are up to it. (Too bad the scriptwriter uses the word "etymological" once when he means "ontological", it is the kind of mistake Lauren would never have made, but this is the tiniest possible blemish, and no movie this rich can avoid having a handful of forgivable glitches).

The first time I saw this film was about twenty years ago, with my wife, eating pizza on a Friday night, in the English Department office, because we didn't have a VCR and the school did. We thoroughly enjoyed it; we cried and we kissed, just as Lauren and Daniel were kissing under the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, with the bells tolling in the "Campanile", at sunset, in a gondola. I don't know if the legend is true, but we still love each other very much, and hopefully will love each other forever. I show the film each year to my first year French students, because it is a great love story between an American girl and a French boy, and there is a lot of French culture to be learned from the film. I've probably seen it over fifty times, so I know most of the dialogue. There's just enough French language for them to understand, but not be overwhelmed. I look forward to every scene, but especially when the two young lovers finally make it to Venice with the help of Julius, played impeccably by Sir Laurence Olivier. My students, mostly 9th and 10th graders, cry a little bit inspite of themselves. Perhaps someday my wife and I will make it to Venice to see if the legend really is true!

In 1980, my former college girlfriend called me and told be that I HAD to see this movie. She thought that the girl in the movie was me (and I am male) so I went out and purchased a ticket to the movie. Well she was right, the girl in the movie, a wonderful precocious 12 or 13 year old girl named Lauren was me about the time I started to college (at 15) when my old girlfriend met me. The movie is so wonderful, two adorable young but very bright children that meet and have so much in common but so little in common with other children their age. It is a wonderful endearing story of their entrance into the real world, of love and caring and loss. Their very adult wondering of whether there is someone exactly for them out there, and if they will meet and even if they will live at the same time really sounded like myself at that age. I showed the movie to my wife (yes I found that woman, the one for me) and she adores the movie, the music, the romance and of course Paris. We have been to Paris and walked the avenues and plan to go to Venice and kiss under the Bridge of Sighs at sunset. What a wonderful legend, even if only made up for the movie. I believe.

This movie so hit home with me. I was a little bit younger than the main characters when I first saw this, but I still was able to relate very well. It is such a sweet and beautifully well made movie. I can remember catching this movie just recently on Showtime family and I was so happy because this was the day I took off from work!! And now I just bought the movie so that I can enjoy it forever. Everytime I see it, I always begin to cry when "Julius" leaves the kids in the movie theater at the door and kisses the window "goodbye" the walks up to the policemen and states, "Gentelemen I believe you are looking for me"... Oh..I'm about to cry now!!! But please watch this movie with your family, friends, and those that you love. Trust me, they will thank you!!

Just a beautiful movie. Every scene is its own little masterpiece. I have tried, via the useful technology of DVD, to catch only a scene or two over morning coffee. Twice now, I have ended up watching the rest of the movie. If you are uncomfortable getting misty-eyed in front of others, watch this movie alone. There are few works that I can think of that are as thrilling as this movie.

I sometimes agree with the adage that youth is wasted on the young only this film has to be the exception.What can be more romantic even today some 18 years later than to be young and in love in Paris.This story proves it.It is also a measure of the man that Olivier agreed to play such a physically exacting role towards the end of his career.He even appears to be enjoying the experience.But then with two young talented co-stars,a young Diane Lane and french newcomer Thelonius Bernard(who was never heard of again!)it wasnt too difficult.This tale of two star-crossed teenagers with mega intelligence quotients running of to Venice to fulfill an historical love pact by Robert and Elizabeth Barret-Browning has dated very well and is sure to appeal to the romantics in all of us.Sir Laurence Oliviers effortless part as the mischievous con artist/pickpocket who befriends and aids them on their way adds a touch of class and irrepressible humour.There is an uproarious scene in a hotel when the almost apopleptic Olivier discovers in a newspaper that he has been lied to by his two travel companions.I also liked that the sex was minimalized,taking into account the relative ages of the main co-stars,was relegated to a closed mouth kiss under the Bridge of Sighs into which both actors had to be firmly encouraged by the director.The classical pieces by Vivaldi and the french and italian scenery also added to the atmosphere.There is also the talented supporting cast of Arthur Hiller as the kindly stepfather and Sally Kellerman as Lane's pushy snobbish mother,bereft at the thought of moving to Houston!.Please also look out for a charming cameo by the late Broderick Crawford and a young David Dukes.Director Hill does an excellent job here directing against type and even gives us brief tongue in cheek glimpses of his previous successful films,from 'the Sting, True Grit,Butch Cassidy and others placed strategically throughout the film, albeit in french and italian.I recommend this adolescent love story to one and all,sure to leave you with a lump in your throat and a tear in your eye.

I was 19 years old when I first caught this film on cable tv. By chance I had come across it while channel surfing, and it immediately caught my attention. Perhaps it was Lauren, or maybe the Parisian background. Whatever the case, the remote control was placed gently on the table, there to remain until the final, moving scenes of Daniel running behind the car waving goodbye, telling Lauren they would be together again. Alas, it wasnt meant to be (where was the sequel?), but what a story just as well. I recently got the video as a gift after telling my girfriend it belonged in my "top five" of all time. After seeing it again, I still feel that way. Though in all actuality that "top five" contains from 10 to 20, it is an exclusive list nonetheless. I would recommend this picture to anyone who has a tendency to dream from time to time, is young enough (at heart) to believe in those dreams, and can accept that, although this is fiction, it succeeds in allowing one to escape the reality of everyday life, chosing instead, to be young, carefree and full of hope. I loved it!

The first time I saw this movie was in my English class my freshman year in high school. I was one of the few males in the class. The teacher made us watch it for an assignment. She turned off the lights and commenced to show the film. I loved it. The movie moved me. It is the first of few movies which evoked tears to run down my face. As the film ended and my teacher turned on the lights again, I felt embarrassed to be crying because of a movie, but delighted by what I had just seen. Over the years, I've seen it over 20 times and own a copy. It is the single most romantic movie I have ever seen.