User reviews

If anyone thinks that we've seen the last remake of Love Affair, think again. The Indian cinema has done a version of it a few years after this film came out. This story has a timeless appeal that Warren Beatty certainly recognized.

Anyone who has seen the original Love Affair and the remake An Affair To Remember will know the plot of this film exactly. Warren Beatty and Annette Bening fill the shoes of previous lovers Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne and Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. With very few deviations except those to update the story this film has the same plot.

One of those deviations has our star crossed lovers Warren Beatty and Annette Bening meeting on a transoceanic flight to Sydney, Australia which is certainly a lot of time to get acquainted. They get even better acquainted when they are forced to land on a Pacific island where Beatty's grandmother Katharine Hepburn has a nice tropical place. The kind of setting where romance has to bloom.

This was Katharine Hepburn's last big screen appearance, she did one more television film and then her Parkinson's Disease and other ailments that beset people of the age she lived to forced her retirement. I'll bet she never thought she would in 1939 wind up in a remake of a film doing a part Maria Ouspenskaya created. She does it grand style though and only Kate can make an old Anglo-Saxon expletive sound elegant.

That Warren Beatty got nominated for a Razzie award for remaking Love Affair is a disgrace. This is old fashioned romantic entertainment, the kind that old Hollywood used to do. I think Beatty and everyone connected with this Love Affair should be proud.

I notice that Leo McCarey who wrote and directed Love Affair and An Affair To Remember is prominently listed on the screen credits. He'd be proud of this remake himself, I'm sure.

If you know the story, and have seen the earlier versions, this is still worth a viewing. The current drama/romance genre is something I am not often fond of, yet this film had a resonance, especially for the holiday season.

No, it is not the same as the Deborah Kerr, Cary Grant version, but that is a bit dated. There is a cameo scene with Katharine Hepburn, she as Beatty's great- aunt, he as someone at a crossroads in his life; wondering if there will be a turning point. Bening is a singer/actress, they agree to meet in NY, a year after if neither is attached to their current significant other. Beatty and Bening actually make a nice couple, for me to have enjoyed this film at Christmas, points to the fact that it is not another romantic comedy we can toss out ( a rare thing) probably because Beatty and Bening have a believable chemistry together.

The final scene, sad as it is Christmas, and the children singing a version of the Beatles' "I will" is atmospheric. It was (for me anyway ) a more moving scene than the older version, perhaps because the children singing in the 1950's version- were singing a song from that 1950's time period....

Highly recommended. 8/10

"Love Affair" (1993), starring Annette Bening and Warren Beatty, is a classic love story that beautifully encapsulates the essence of romance. The film has moments of light-heartedness that balance the more emotional aspects of the narrative. Annette Bening and Warren Beatty's performances are outstanding.

Cinematographically, "Love Affair" shines, capturing the essence of the story with elegance and grace. The film's beautiful music, courtesy of the legendary Ennio Morricone, adds another layer of enchantment to the overall experience. Morricone's compositions have a way of staying with you long after the credits roll.

What sets "Love Affair" apart is its more contemporary feel and setting compared to "An Affair to Remember." This modern twist adds a fresh and relatable dimension to the timeless theme of love. It's heartwarming to know that this film has become a beloved part of your Christmas season traditions. "Love Affair" is a heartwarming, timeless tale that remains worth watching, delivering a poignant reminder of the enduring power of love.

Katharine Hepburn's sophisticated attention to nuance is just one example of the beauty in this understated passionate yet bittersweet love story.

If you liked "Indochine" or "Shadowlands", this movie is for you. The old story of lukewarm engagement broken to make room for passion of a grand scale is an old one, but treated with more integrity than films such as "The English Patient" or "Titanic", which pale in comparison. Add Warren Beatty, Garry Shandling, a brief appearance by Ray Charles, and you can't lose. A must see.

i re-watched this movie recently, after not having viewed it in quite a few years. i enjoyed the movie immensely, as i did eight years ago, when i first saw it.

there are many reasons why i enjoyed the beatty-bening adaptation.

first, i didn't consciously attempt to make connections between this movie and the grant/kerr version. granted, it may be fair to do so, but it ruins your enjoyment of the film. beatty is obviously not going to rate well in comparison to cary grant, but then again, how many actors would?

second, i was not discomfited by the apparent uneven nature of the film. yes, it started out as a fairly light comedy, punched up by a spirited jazz vocal soundtrack, and finished as a classic, romantic tearjerker with a sweeping score by ennio morricone--but this was completely purposeful. the movie is blatantly mimicking the passages of love, suggesting that the playfulness and flirtation of courtship inexorably leads to the seriousness and heartstopping emotion of true love.

third, contrary to what other opinions suggest, i felt sincere chemistry between the two leads. the stages of falling in love seemed genuine and paced appropriately, and stirred up memories of the feelings i remember--the clever banter of dating, then the walking on tenter-hooks feeling of people first coming to the realization that they are in love, and later, the aching pain of seemingly unrequited love.

the movie is not perfect (beatty's face has the expressiveness of a toasted bagel). more than anything, the film's plot, direction, and score are very emotionally manipulative--but then again, isn't that what the film is supposed to do after all?

I have seen this movie two or three times, and really enjoy it.

Warren Beatty plays the part of a football coach with a reputation as a ladies' man. In this role, he is so smooth, sensing what is and isn't said in his moments with love interest (played by Annette Benning), and somehow remaining sincere & vulnerable -- you can SEE how this would entice any woman with a pulse. Fellows can watch and learn from seeing a pro at work.

Annette Benning is poised, beautiful as always.

The few scenes with Kathleen Hepburn are especially powerful. Her one-on-one talk with Benning gives us 2 women figuring each other out, artfully and respectfully. It makes you appreciate the fine art of good conversation.

I highly recommend this film. It is a (sappy) romantic film ("chick flick") -- but it will put a tear in your guy's eye, too.

Warren Beatty is not as dreamily handsome as Cary Grant but Beatty is such a skilled actor that his portrayal of Mike Gambril got through the poignancy of the dilemma of a man at the crossroads. Anette Bening was quite good too, especially in avoiding extreme sentimentality. For those who hate tear-jerker movies, this remake of "An Affair to Remember" would be the one to see.

The song in the two versions are different, and the viewer would have a better appreciation for the similarities and differences if the composer, lyrics, and a sound clip of each song were included in the info.