"Bridges Of Madison County: Some called it a snooze-fest, while others tearfully clutched their Kleenex. In any case, Clint Eastwood was an unusual and (as it turned out) perceptive choice to direct and costar in this lush adaptation of Robert James Wallers phenomenally bestselling novel. Meryl Streep costars as Francesca, the lonely Iowa farmers wife who is instantly attracted to Robert (Eastwood), the photographer from National Geographic who is in the area to photograph the bridges along Iowas rural roadways. The two fall in love while Francescas husband and children are away at a county fair, but the storys passion and lasting appeal derive from their decision to part forever after just a few brief days of intimate connection. Superbly acted with an emphasis on quiet, graceful moments of tender revelation, the film builds to a crescendo of powerful and conflicting emotions. Like David Leans Brief Encounter (to which it bears marked similarities), The Bridges of Madison County is destined to become one of the classic movie love stories. --Jeff Shannon.
Unforgiven: In 1880s Kansas, ageing gunslinger-turned-farmer William Munny (Clint Eastwood) reluctantly agrees to come out of retirement to help Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) collect the bounty on a wanted murderer. The man in question cut up a prostitute in a lawless town lorded over by the corrupt Sheriff Daggett (Gene Hackman), and if Munny and Logan want to catch him they are going to have to deal with Daggett first. A gritty western which brought a new level of critical respect to its director, Clint Eastwood, winning him the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director (it also picked up the Best Supporting Actor award for Gene Hackman)."
