Rodrigo Amaro One of the most unconventional musicals of all time "One From the Heart" is a criminally underrated film that needs to be rediscovered by all generations and by authentic film lovers out there. Francis Ford Coppola's extravagant and luxurious film is a imaginative tale of a true and down-to-earth love struggling to survive the flames of perfect but false love affairs. They've met on a nice 4th of July, they remained married for five years, but then while celebrating their fifth anniversary together, something died and they couldn't go on together. That's the story of Frannie (Teri Garr) and Hank (Frederick Forrest), a happy couple that after an little argument decides to break-up, finding comfort and love with other partners on the dreamy and magical Las Vegas. She goes out with a talented pianist/waiter named Ray (Raul Julia), a romantic Latin lover with lots of qualities; while Hank goes after Leila (Nastassja Kinski) an sexy dancer with lots of appeal. Both affairs look and sound perfect but will Hank and Frannie ever realize they really belong with each other and that this fantasies shouldn't been taken so seriously? Surprises, surprises... Elegant, beautiful and amazingly colorful with its neon lights shining and sparkling everywhere, all the time in a Las Vegas built on the American Zoetrope's sound stage, company that went to bankruptcy due to the enormous costs spent on this film, "One from the Heart" is a outstanding film, way above the average that never was placed in the place it should have been, among with the greatest works of art of all time. It was a financial and critical failure for Francis and the films he made until the 1990's were mostly for covering those costs (original budget planning was U$2 million, but the real money spent reach U$25 million which was a very high cost in the 1980's). But these are minor concerns. It's a film with lots of qualities, it gives us so much and the emotions it sets on us is priceless. His vision is absolutely perfect for the eyes. A visually stunning film and an orgasm to our eyes and senses that rare films can achieve. The dream-like Vegas comes to represent a fictionalization of love as something happy, colorful, never ending, love Hollywood style. Then we have to compare with our own love stories, our own perception of what love's like. Love is really like a endless magic where everything happens perfectly or it has some flaws, some danger and some unfortunate parts? Hank and Frannie story is more realistic if we have to compare with the romantic evenings they have with Ray and Leila, musical sequences made to look just like 1940's MGM musicals. Coppola couldn't go on filming these in the real Las Vegas, he had to present us a larger than life fantasy, dreams becoming true, and he succeed it (sadly, many didn't get that idea). Even not including huge superstars in the main roles, the casting is impeccable (which also includes Harry Dean Stanton and Lainie Kazan in funny roles as the main couple friends). Vittorio Storaro's innovative cinematography, Dean Tavoularis art-direction, the special effects used, Tom Waits & Crystal Gayle songs and the soundtrack, everything is perfectly put together. And best sequences are: the musical number involving Frannie and Ray dancing in the crowded Vegas; their fabulous tango; Leila's number to Hank on top of a tightrope; the ending, kind of corny, but acceptable. Everything is so phony, so unbelievable and that's the movie's point: it's an optic of what love should be, or perhaps that's the way love is seen for those who fell in love, that everything is or must be perfect. But if you think real love is just like the ones you see in the movies than you need to open your eyes better and see from another perspective. You need to see the difficulties, the twists and turns just like the ones Frannie and Hank had right in the first scenes where one complain about not standing each other anymore.The poor criticism this film got is the same one that killed "Heaven's Gate" years earlier, a big budget film for too little result, critics not even focused on the film's idea, although I think Coppola made something better with all the money spent and his career didn't sink so low like Cimino did. But I must say that this was only restricted to the U.S. and some other countries, since here "One from the Heart" is lauded as one of the greatest films directed by Francis, receiving impeccable and positive reviews, most of them so good to make me run to see this film. The wait was over, and it fulfilled my expectations and more. I loved it! 10/10

nickrogers1969 I bought the DVD on sale and did not expect much. I had heard it had flopped when it was released. I thought it would be a long heavy pretentious film but I was mistaken. I found myself liking it. "One from the Heart" is a charming and moving film in a simple way. Maybe audiences expected much more from Francis Ford Coppola, something deeper and more complicated. What we got is a sweet and touching romance about a couple who break up and make up. The leads were a little shaky in the beginning but got warmer as the film went along. I wound up liking them. I thought the second leads were good too. It was nice to see Teri Garr in a sexy part, showing off her body and dance steps. Also, it was cool to see one of Nastssja Kinskis early roles. Maybe because the film bombed the two actresses never became really big in American movies. This film did not have a chance after Coppolas "Apocalyse Now". Give this bright and colourful film a chance. Great photography with nice tunes by Tom Waits!

raymond-15 What a lot of work went into a big time musical that just did not pay off. The recreation of Las Vegas in the big sound studios was well done with the brassy atmosphere and flashing lights giving us a riot of sound and colour. It's good to be experimental with the effects but sometimes it's better not to go too far. I found the singing voices superimposed on the airport noises were annoying to say the least. A lot of the images too are superimposed. A little might be acceptable but too much is bewildering.The theme of the film is summed up in the song "You don't know what you've got till you've lost it". A couple of lovers argue over nothing, break up, and go their own way seeking new partners. A vindictive act to teach each other a lesson.The beginning of the film and the end are the best parts with very little substance in between.Like the acting the songs were not particularly impressive and I really did not like the characters The failure of the film at the box office is not surprising. May be those reviewers who gave high recommendations saw themselves in the devastating break up between the lovers.I really cannot find very much to praise except perhaps the development of the atmosphere both visual and sound. All in all it's a costly experiment that went wrong and did not attract me in the least and I dare say many others.

moonspinner55 The marriage of a bickering couple in a fantasy-version of Las Vegas comes to a boil when the wife decides to leave (she wants a little excitement, but hubby is a homebody); both he and she link up with other partners, but will married-love win out? Frederic Forrest and Teri Garr star in this lavishly-designed, studio-shot concoction from director Francis Ford Coppola, who seemingly put all his heart into the unreality of the film's look and forgot to shape the characters (and involve the audience). There's nobody here worth giving a damn about, not Forrest nor Garr, nor their new paramours, Latin smoothie Raul Julia or pixieish showgirl Nastassia Kinski (who has the film's best scene walking a tightrope, which may have been stolen from "King of Hearts"). The country music by Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle hopes to work as a narrative theme, when actually a stronger screenplay might have sufficed. * from ****