An under-seen and under-rated gem of a movie, I had the great pleasure of seeing The Old Man Who Read Love Stories when I was but a young boy and it's a film that stuck with me for many years thanks to subtle power, striking imagery and a performance from Richard Dreyfuss that surely must be the most fully formed of his career. I had an even greater pleasure recently where I was able to attend a screening of The Old Man and a Q and A with its legendary Australian director Rolf de Heer that reaffirmed to me what a classic film this is.The making and release of The Old Man was one fraught with many different challenges both in a crew sense and also a release sense. Sitting on the shelf unjustly for more than 3 years The Old Man once available to the public was a film that divided the critics and audiences alike but for those willing to be swept up in the tale of journeyman Antonio Bolivar it was an absolute joy to be a part of. The Old Man is in no way a typical point A to point B movie and the structure of the films flashbacks (going hand in hand with our lead's fractured life and memories) are in no way done in the usual movie-making fashion. These elements of originality and decision making by director De Heer are just some of the reasons though that make the film just a diamond in the rough.The Old Man Who Read Love Stories - post As mentioned in the opening paragraph Richard Dreyfuss has never been better than he is here. In a role that was originally intended for Sir Ian McKellan and down the line Morgan Freeman and Sir Ben Kingsley, Dreyfuss is captivating and heartbreaking as our wounded soul. It's a character that is filled to the brim with hidden mysteries that slowly begin to unravel as the movie progresses and although the town folk he deals with (including the "slimy toad" mayor played by the ever creepy Timothy Spall and the roguish dentist played by Hugo Weaving) treat him perhaps as a man that knows little, he is in fact a man that has loved, lost and lived like the best of them. The journey Antonio takes to track a vengeful jaguar is a journey that is not only a physical trek but an emotional trek and one where the film's softly spoken power comes from as Antonio internally deals with his past triumphs and past losses.Filmed beautifully, scored thoughtfully and acted wonderfully by its cast, The Old Man is a film that is worthy to be tracked down and to be taken away by. With the right marketing and proper treatment one gets the feeling that the film would have been a major player at awards seasons the world over but sometimes a film is more than physical awards and plaudits and the Old Man's true gift is the one it gives to us the watchers and admirers.5 dentist related bets out of 5 For more movie reviews and opinions check out - www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com

Well maybe it can be said that this movie is sometime slow but not so much. The performances are very good , specially Hugo Weaving and Richard Dreyfuss are excellent and the movie have a poetic sense and fine dialog . The art designer is Gil Parrondo, who have won 2 academy awards with "Patton" and "Nicholas and Alexandra".This is an adaptation of a novel , a complex one. The screenplay is beautiful and the movie really flows, it's not contrived . This is not a cliché film or a conventional movie and does not disappoint . I really like this movie and I think it's one of the best Dreyfuss's performances ever, creating a subtle, intelligent , simple and wise old man.

The strange thing about the reviews and comments that I've read about this movie was that they were all bordering on the negative. It is a wonderful film, so different just because it is about an old man who remembers that he can read and how the only books that he can get are love stories which help him put his world into a new perspective. Not quite alone in the Amazonian jungle for years, we are told a bit of his history in cleverly inserted flashbacks. The roles of the slovenly village Mayor (Timothy Spall), the itinerant dentist (Hugo Weaving)and the beautiful village girl (Cathy Tyson) are all so well played that the viewer is drawn in as part of the the story like a voyeur. When the film had ended I just wished to see more. Being a fan of Richard Dreyfuss was a definite plus but overall this gentle film was very enjoyable and I'd see it again and again.

Richard dreyfuss is great in this movie. In all movies he make. I've seen this movie in my country, and i'm specting for the dvd because i like to see this movie in english because in spain the movies are dubbeds, and i have not a lot of opportunities for hear his real voice, and i hate it. I love the movies in original version(english of course)