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A Walk in the Clouds Customer Reviews (13 - 15 of 32 Reviews)

Don't Be So Cynical
I'm sorry -- but I don't think Keanu Reeves is wooden at all in this film. There is this "California" kind of personality -- like Harrison Ford, and Keanu Reeves is the new incarnation of this laid-back personaliity. I think that Keanu Reeves does a great job as a shell-shocked, Midwestern orphan who comes "home" to a very disaffected civil life. I loved this movie.

A nice little movie
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. My one negative comment has to do with Mr. Reeves. Keanu is nice to look at but his acting leaves something to be desired. When that first picturesque view of the vineyard is opened up to him he remarks "it's beautiful" with absolutely no tone, expression, or feeling in his voice. He doesn't really get any better as the movie goes on. Oh well, the only other Keanu movies I've seen are his "Bill and Ted" movies and I admit I quite often found myself reminded of his "Ted" character.
But aside from from this the movie overall was very enjoyable. I am a part of the minority that is offended by nudity, sex, and foul language in movies and TV. Face it, Hollywood just doesn't make too many high quality romances geared toward this minority group. We want good old-fashioned, leave all your clothes on till after the wedding, romances. So alas, when even a mediocre one comes along we get all excited and gushy over it - what else do we have to look forward to?

An excellent old-fashioned love story.
I've enjoyed a number of Keanu Reeves' movies, from "Bill and Ted" and "The Matrix" to the more recent "Constantine." "A Walk in the Clouds" is one of his forays into the romance genre, and it's a favorite of mine in that category. The story begins during the waning days of WWII, where Army veteran Paul (Reeves) arrives in San Francisco after four years of combat. He makes his way home and surprises a wife he barely knows. After an awkward reunion, she practically shoves him out the door the next day with an admonition to start raking in the bucks by selling chocolates. The life of a traveling salesman is not what he had in mind, but he decides to make a go of it for her sake.

On a train bound for Sacramento, Paul literally bumps into Victoria, a mysterious, attractive Latino woman (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon) who immediately vomits on him. After a couple more odd encounters, they wind up together on the side of a country road. She tearfully informs Paul that her grad school professor-slash-lover impregnated and then dumped her. She fears that her ultra-conservative, autocratic father Alberto (Giancarlo Giannini) will kill her for soiling the Aragon family name by returning home an unwed mother. A scheme is hatched where Paul agrees to pose as Victoria's husband for a day, and then abandon her so she can save face. Of course, things don't quite work out so easily, especially when Paul and Victoria begin to have feelings for each other.

"A Walk in the Clouds" is a visual and relational treat. The scenery of the Aragon estate and surrounding vineyard is almost otherworldly in its lush beauty (hence the movie's title), and made me want to book the next flight to California wine country (even more than "Sideways" did). More impressive was the close-knit traditional Latino family atmosphere, dramatically embodied in the sensual winemaking ceremony, where the married women dance the newly harvested grapes into juice. However, all is not perfect in paradise. Alberto is threatened by his non-traditional daughter and Stanford educated son, who wants to apply modern business theory to the old-world winery. "Gringo" Paul becomes the focal point for his insecurities, and their conflict escalates towards an uncertain and traumatic resolution.

Some have criticized Keanu Reeves for having a "wooden" demeanor. True, he's not the most expressive performer in cinema. But his low-key acting style perfectly fits the character of Paul, a man of the stoic WWII generation dealing with PTSD and his status as an orphan. I was able to sympathize with and root for Paul throughout his journey, and I commend Mr. Reeves for enabling me to do that. The other actors also turn in excellent performances, especially the late Anthony Quinn as Don Pedro, the chocolate loving, brandy drinking sage patriarch who takes Paul under his wing. He provides a good contrast to Giannini's driven Alberto, so concerned about preserving his family that he's forgotten how to love them. And I can't leave out the lovely Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, whose passionate and intelligent Victoria is the thinking man's movie-character catch.

"A Walk in the Clouds" is one of the most romantic movies I've ever seen, and it holds up well under repeated viewings. Highly recommended.

WARNING: The next paragraph has some SPOILER content, but for those concerned with moral content I want to comment on Paul's character and must do so within the context of a choice he makes.

I was surprised and gladdened that Paul was an honorable man who valued family relationships and put the needs of others before his own desires. He doesn't take the easy way out from his albatross wife, even after finding the woman and family he's always longed for. Paul perseveres through sexual temptation, not because of dogma, but because he cares about Victoria and doesn't want to hurt her. Despite his feelings for Victoria, he demonstrates loyalty to his shallow, materialistic wife and tries to work things out. That kind of virtue is somewhat rare in a Hollywood production these days, and lends a welcome old-fashioned, family-friendly air to the movie (END OF SPOILER).

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