YouHeart I gave it a 7.5 out of 10

Dotbankey A lot of fun.

Inmechon The movie's only flaw is also a virtue: It's jammed with characters, stories, warmth and laughs.

Matho The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

grantss A biopic on the relationship between the renowned writer Ernest Hemingway and the war correspondent Martha Gellhorn. A tempestuous, on-and-off romance that spanned nine years and several war zones and a World War.Great docu-drama: Gritty, moving story.Excellent performances by Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman in the lead roles. Owen captures the reckless, live-life-to-the-fullest, abandon of Hemingway perfectly, and for once Kidman doesn't come across as prissy and pretentious. Good supporting cast which includes Robert Duvall, Parker Posey, Tony Shalhoub and David Strathairn.

skipjordan-815-424401 Great actors, a director of awesome achievements and a total dud of a movie, a confused depiction of a confused man, and Gellhorn was no better drawn. The integration of the characters into newsreel footage, like "Zelig", was terrific. But the script just skimmed the surface, and Clive Owen looked nothing like Hemingway. In fact, when he had a cigar in his mouth, I could think of no one else but Groucho Marx, and that pretty much did it for me. It was smart to limit the action to the Spanish civil war and keep the story contained, but there's so much more to learn about Hemingway (though his battle with impotence was clearly described). If you didn't know more about Hemingway than what you saw in this movie, you'd go "Huhh?" about the ending, which added nothing to the arc of the story.

Dan1863Sickles Even though I'm a Hemingway fan and consider the man to be a personal hero, I would not be outraged if this movie were only a trashy, tell-all attack on the man himself. But there are so many things wrong with this confused, ugly mess other than the persistent sneering attacks on Papa.To understand the scope of the awfulness, you have to grasp all the things this movie promises and does not deliver. HEMINGWAY AND GELLHORN is not any of the following: 1. It is not an accurate picture of the Spanish Civil War or the rise of Fascism in Europe.2. It does not explain the motives or the values of American Communists either in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade or anywhere else.3. It does not establish Martha Gellhorn as a credible feminist hero or even a competent journalist.4. Although it represents Papa Hemingway as a bully, a woman beater, a liar, and a backstabber, it never tries to pinpoint the real nature of his illness, e.g. alcoholism or depression. We are merely told that he is a bad person over and over (and over) again.5. The complexities of Hemingway's code as a writer (as opposed to a tough guy, fighter and drinker) are completely ignored. His skepticism about art as propaganda is rejected out of hand as the result of greed or cowardice. There is no in-depth analysis of the real crimes of the Stalinists in Spain or elsewhere. Nor is Hemingway ever allowed to defend the idea of artistic truth as a force that transcends politics.6. While Martha Gellhorn is presented as a "feminist" in the story, she shows zero interest in helping other career women, and indeed spends all her time in the company of men. There is no indication that she wants women to unite for common goals, or that she recognizes any forms of injustice outside of her relationship with Hemingway.7. This is not a credible love story, there is no sexual passion between the male and female leads, nor any real evidence that they like each other as people.8. All of the period details are false and the film is visually ugly in a way that is blatantly artificial. The use of stock footage with Papa and Marty wandering through history hand-in-hand like Hansel and Gretel is so crudely, blatantly done that it almost seems like the film makers are putting you on, or pulling your leg. But it's all done very, very straight, in a somber style that screams to be taken seriously.9. Hemingway's drinking is obviously self-destructive, yet Martha matches him drink for drink without any sign of concern. And the old Martha chain-smokes in the excruciatingly self-promoting "interview" segments while moaning and groaning about how the world has let her down, without ever discussing dreary things like enabling her husband's alcoholism and how her own bad habits can lead to lung cancer.10. Why is this woman admirable? Why is her story important? Why? Why? Why?

alex-278 I don't normally comment on scripts and direction as I have little knowledge of how their contribution to a good film is best judged, however with this film it is probably safe to say that both of these factors have played a part in making this film appear stifled, contrived staged and utterly unconvincing. Even from the opening scene in the bar - I found myself wondering if this was a stage play with characters nailed to a spot and delivering lines - it was utterly unconvincing. Alas the film continues in this vein and does not get any better. It is over two hours of poor dialogue and pained expressions from Nicole. If I had to reflect generously on the acting of anyone it would be of Clive - he does a good job with the material available.I won't be drawn into suggesting its poor attributes are due to it being made for television, as you just have to watch NetFlix's House of Cards to see that films made for TV can be extremely well made if the scripts are well crafted and the direction inspired.