| Breathless | | Cast : | Richard Gere, Valérie Kaprisky | | Director : | Jim McBride | | Studio : | Mgm/Ua Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned | | Released Date : | January 01, 1983 | | DVD Released Date : | May 01, 2001 | | Language : | Spanish (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 19, 2005 | | Summary | You either love it or hate it | Content
 | Reviewer Gary F. Taylor who states that Jim McBride does not know what statement he is trying to make is totally off the mark.
McBride's message is loud and clear and demonstrated throughout the entire movie. And the movie is far from pretentious. Jesse is a simple character who has an "all or nothing" approach to life and believes that "love is the power supreme." In that vein he risks everything to win the heart of Monica.
I definitely understand why some find the movie cheesy but for me, the soundtrack, the relentlessness of Jesse in pursuing Monica, the LA scenery, the Silver Surfer references, and even the cheesy clothing all just work.
This isn't a movie about a character who deserves happiness (ie. Sleepless in Seattle--yuk); Jesse is a criminal who should be incarcerated. But life is full of infinite personalities and people of varying moral quality. Whether Jesse is a good guy or a bad guy, we root for him because in the movie's quite moments, when he stares goofily at Monica, you realize he loves her purely and you're caught up in his unrealistic and ultimately impossible dream.
Keil James' review is right on the mark.
And this movie has one of the most excellent end-scenes of any movie. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 07, 2005 | | Summary | OK, here's the real review. Ignore all the others. | Content
| OK, here's the real review. Breathless is essentially about character, so if you don't like Jesse, played by Richard Gere, then you probably will not like the movie. Jesse is a flake and he has a knack for getting himself into trouble. But he also has good qualities. He is earnest, free-spirited, and he has an all-or-nothing approach to all that he does in life. And he applies all of these qualities to his pursuit of Monica's heart.
Breathless is a love story. The action, and the trouble that is closing in on Jesse, drives the urgency of his attempt to win Monica's heart and her partnership. It is a story about trying to win the favor of a young girl who is still weighing her options in life. And in doing so, Jesse brings his uncompromising attitude and does all he can think of to win her.
Any criticism of Gere's performance is dead wrong. Gere brings the character to life, and makes him appealing despite his flakiness, by showing that Jesse is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, and believes that love is the power supreme. The director also does a great job of intermingling popular songs with a nice score. He includes songs by Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis, which are not haphazardly placed in the picture, but that add to the character of Jesse, who is freewheeling like Jerry Lee, and caught in a trap as Elvis sung.
If you can root for a guy who is flakey, flamboyant, and still believes in the power of love, then give this one a spin. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 13, 2005 | | Summary | Valerie is.....gosh! | Content
| BREATHLESS is a remake of a 1961 French movie of the same name. Instead of taking place in Paris (like the original), it takes place in LA. Richard Gere does an imitation of James Dean, dresses in 1950s style clothes & loves 1950s cars. Oh, and his character (Jessie) is a car thief, so he enjoys stealing them even more than driving them.
In an ill-fated momentary lapse of reason, Jessie kills a policeman. This elevates him from small-time hoodlum to the top spot on the LAPD's most-wanted list. From there his luck goes from bad to worse.
Jessie is obsessed with a French girl (played by Valérie Kaprisky), the comic book SILVER SURFER and the music of Jerry Lee Lewis. Most of the scenes revolve around one of these facets. There is some intersting symbolism with the SILVER SURFER who may leave this dimension at any time, but stays behind due to true love. It is a nice metaphor for those who pay attention to the final scene in the film.
Perhaps the most unfortunately accurate part of the film is how Gere plays a guy who is an amoral jerk - and yet he STILL gets the girl. One would think the story unrealistic on this sector, but the opposite is true. Some of the most worthwhile women I've ever known have always ended up "gunning for" the biggest loser they could find.
The biggest selling point of this DVD, however, is Valérie Kaprisky. In a word, she is stunning. Even better is the fact that she has no qualms about walzting around nude in front of the camera.
If you're interested in an erotic thriller where the main character is not altogether likeable, this one may be worth checking out. The story won't take your breath away, but Valérie Kaprisky just might! |
| Rating | | | Date | February 23, 2005 | | Summary | No wonder it was on sale | Content
| I bought this DVD at Best Buy for something like $5, based on the notion that Richard Gere is, in reality, a fairly nice guy. There are really only three reasons to watch this film, however: 1) the music, 2) Valerie Kaprisky's boobs, and 3) the last scene in which Gere's character picks up a gun and is going to be ventilated by the LAPD.
Gere plays a lowlife who conducts a crime spree from Las Vegas to L.A., including (accidently) killing a California Highway Patrol officer. Naturally, the more crimes he commits, the more the girl covers for him, lies for him, hides him, and participates in the offenses.
Unfortunately, films like this just glorify the most negative type of behavior, and make it seem cool and sexy. By projecting that kind of notion, it becomes nothing but recruitment propaganda for the prison system. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 04, 2004 | | Summary | Gere does a repeat of American Gigolo | Content
| I enjoyed this movie, not great but not a bomb...all the way thru it I kept thinking of American Gigolo. Same type character that he did so well in that movie he reprieves in this movie. The French actress was delightful and very convincing.
She was on and off again on the thrill of going out of the box and her attraction for Gere.
Gere was convincing in this part. Believeable movie. |
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