Gilda Bessé shares her Paris apartment with an Irish schoolteacher, Guy Malyon, and Mia, a refugee from Spain. As the world drifts toward war, Gilda defiantly pursues her hedonistic lifestyle and her burgeoning career as a photographer. But Guy and Mia feel impelled to join the fight against fascism, and the three friends are separated.
There's plenty of eye candy -- gorgeous scenery, gorgeous costumes, gorgeous people -- to keep the viewer from minding (too much) the Olympic leaps of faith required to invest in the film's plot.
– Teresa Wiltz,
Washington Post,
22 Oct 2004
fresh:
Great, gooey, hot-fudge sundae of a love story.
– Leah McLaren,
Globe and Mail,
22 Oct 2004
rotten:
The passion barely simmers, let alone rages, which may vex some viewers and will certainly confound the tabloids.
– Peter Howell,
Toronto Star,
22 Oct 2004
rotten:
The story becomes a long slog because Duigan doesn't define his characters and because he's determined to touch too many of the familiar '30s European bases.