Probably one of the nicest things about this movie is seeing Sharon Stone playing a nice character who is not thriving on her sexuality, and actually quite sweet and innocent. She doesn't overload the sexuality, and thus she gets to actually play a character with death rather than someone using a man come on over for a purpose. Of course, she's come over to England for a purpose, to give a letter from her late mother to a man she presumes to be her former lover during World War II. Stone encounters young nobleman Christopher Cazenove who turns out to be the son of Paul Daneman, whom the letter is intended for. Through flashbacks, we learn that Stone's mother (Rachael Dowling) was an American singer and had a brief involvement with a young British Lord (Harry Burton) while he was on the outs with his wife and her husband, Stone's father, was off in active duty
Anna Massey, as Daneman's estranged wife, gives Stone the truth she wants to know, but Cazenove gets a completely different story from Daneman who objects to his son becoming engaged to Stone. There are many inconsistencies in a few of the characters, especially Daneman's. It's a sweet but rather ordinary World War 2 love story that crosses the generation into the present day, but Stone and Cazenove do not have any chemistry. Still there are some nice details including a pretty musical score, and the flashback sequences are done beautifully. The number of soap opera like twists at the end are over the top, with the final one a true "Oh really?" moment complete with eye rolls.
Veteran British actor Maurice Denham is memorable in a cameo, and Stephanie Cole is good as a British socialite whom Stone encounters. For movie fans who want to see Stone play something other than a cold femme fatale, this is it, and it's too bad she didn't play more characters like this because it's nice to see her finally in a different light. Massey gets perhaps the best material because her motives are the most understandable, and in spite of her actions, she is far more noble and long-suffering than the script presents on the surface. But overall, this has cheap romance novel written all over it, and that weakens the impact of the good aspects of it, trying to manipulate the audience into tears and getting laughed at in the process.
Anna Massey, as Daneman's estranged wife, gives Stone the truth she wants to know, but Cazenove gets a completely different story from Daneman who objects to his son becoming engaged to Stone. There are many inconsistencies in a few of the characters, especially Daneman's. It's a sweet but rather ordinary World War 2 love story that crosses the generation into the present day, but Stone and Cazenove do not have any chemistry. Still there are some nice details including a pretty musical score, and the flashback sequences are done beautifully. The number of soap opera like twists at the end are over the top, with the final one a true "Oh really?" moment complete with eye rolls.
Veteran British actor Maurice Denham is memorable in a cameo, and Stephanie Cole is good as a British socialite whom Stone encounters. For movie fans who want to see Stone play something other than a cold femme fatale, this is it, and it's too bad she didn't play more characters like this because it's nice to see her finally in a different light. Massey gets perhaps the best material because her motives are the most understandable, and in spite of her actions, she is far more noble and long-suffering than the script presents on the surface. But overall, this has cheap romance novel written all over it, and that weakens the impact of the good aspects of it, trying to manipulate the audience into tears and getting laughed at in the process.