I'm not a country western music fan at all, but I am a huge fan of director Peter Bogdanovich. My affection for Bogdanovich extends beyond his work as a filmmaker, going back to his is days as a writer in the 1960s when he took the time to interview Hollywood directors such as John Ford, Howard Hawks, or Allan Dwan; filmmakers who were nearing the end of their prolific careers and considered talented journeymen filmmakers suited to producing mere entertainment. Bogdanovich helped bring legitimacy to these filmmakers as artists and as having a unique point of view. What I love about Bogdanovich as a filmmaker is that he brings a classic Hollywood sensibility to his films. His approach to filmmaking is clearly influenced by his love of classic film and by his conversations with all of these talented early pioneers of cinema. To "The Thing Called Love" in particular, it tells the story of a group of country music musicians, River Phoenix, Samantha Mathis, Dermot Mulroney, and Sandra Bullock, hoping to get their big break in Nashville. A bit of a love triangle occurs between lead characters, Mathis, Phoenix, and Mulroney, in a way that echo's many films of Howard Hawks, which Bogdanovich is quick to pick-up on. More than the story or the performances (which are good all around), I think I like most how Bogdanovich frames his shots. He shoots his film in a way that looks like old Hollywood. I don't know if the film would look all that different to the casual viewer, but he frames his shots in a way that you could see Hedy Lamar or Cary Grant being shot, which is terrific fun for cinephiles. Overall, as a tale of young folks trying to make it big and learning life lessons that eventually inform their songs and make them better musicians, it's a entertaining enough of a film, even if it falters at times, but watching the film as a heir to old Hollywood, "The Thing Called Love" is a is a real treat.

The Thing Called Love (1993)Whatever happened to Peter Bogdanovich? He directed several really deeply felt, nostalgia filled, honest films in the late 60s early 70s. But he had some duds, too, and that seems to be his long term groove, as if he was more comfortable loving movies (he's a buff, an historian, an insider critic) than making them. This one has the stuff for a heart-tugging drama filled with Americana, but it is slow, downright clumsy at times, and improbable.The latter is fine, of course--it's a fiction movie--but it wants to seem real, too, not fantastic. It depends too much on pretty people, so that's false, but these pretty people are trying to make it in Nashville as singer-songwriters, which is a fantasy after all, so who knows? The marriage in the mini-super market is pretty great, I have to admit.What works best, oddly enough (but no surprise), is Sandra Bullock, who plays her part with conviction. The music is supposed to be amateur and downright bad, but it's not bad enough to laugh at (and not good enough to enjoy). A bad spot in the middle. But then there's River Phoenix. Who knew he could actually play? Ah, but some plot is in order, something beyond the obvious. It's supposed to be a dream come true or something, but it just holds no water. If you love country music, there's something here, the general scene, the background, but that's not enough.

This movie was obviously a cry for help. Being a River Phoenix fan I rented this movie yesterday. Although it is good movie I couldn't help but feel sadness. This is River's last movie before his death, and from the beginning to the end of the film he seems out of it. He also looked extremely ill and his face was rather gaunt. This made it very hard to watch the film.Overall the rest of the cast were pretty good. Except I thought the lead actress sounded a touch retarded at times when trying to pull off a New York accent. The movie isn't anything new and it's not one of those deep films that leaves you with all these emotions afterward like "Running on Empty." It's more of a fun movie. It's a great watch, but also a sad remembrance of Phoenix.

I first watched this movie as a struggling writer myself and so naturally it SPOKE right to me. I used to do exactly that - traipse around in the middle of the night looking for all night coffee places and bars where I could sit and write. Come to think of it, I was having some girl-troubles at that point in my life too, so this movie became somewhat of a comfort for me.Just watched it again last night with a friend who is struggling to break into the music biz, and it spoke volumes to her too. That's what is great about this film for non-country music fans like myself and my friend-it deals with that "struggling artist" thing really well.Elvis fans may like it too as there's not a bad on-going tribute to the King throughout the film.It is also interesting to see River Phoenix's last completed role. He is obviously wasted in a few scenes of the movie...but the guy's got OBVIOUS musical talent, and it makes up for any slurred lines, which are kind of in character anyway, I thought.The country music chosen for the film is not that "country"...if u know what I mean, they've chosen a really nice selection. It's a good date movie, especially if you're a struggling artist...trust me, it'll speak to you.And last but not least, River Phoenix looks nice for the girls, and for us guys, c'mon, tell me Samantha Mathis doesn't look cute in that denim jacket, short skirt and cow-girl boots... And have a laugh at Sandra Bullock in a "one-sy". I did.Definitely not for everyone, but worth a look if you don't mind the odd "nice" movie sprinkled among the others.