a_chinn 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.

mifunesamurai This is a review of the Director's Cut version.Under the direction of Bogdanovich, this stellar cast shines through a sometimes murky script. Bogdanovich achieved this by being brave enough to film some scenes in long takes of two shots, giving us the full attention on the acting without having to distract us with edits to close ups and so on. This even allowed the actors enough space for some small beautiful moments of what seemed to be improvisation. And if it wasn't, then the scriptwriter, Carol Heikkinen, did an amazing job in capturing the quirkiness of these characters.I couldn't keep my eyes of Phoenix playing the part of a self centered music artist who didn't know how to use his heart of gold in case it was hurt. His mannerisms remind me of Johnny Depp's style of acting. It is so pure and honest, and fun to watch.Samantha Mathis pulled it off as the leading lady, but she had great supporting acts in the shape of the then amazing Sandra Bullock and the upcoming talents of Dermont Mulroney. Some may argue that the director's cut may be too long and boring, but this cut definitely captures the world these characters have entered by spending more time in observing the dream they are chasing, and how that dream can sometimes run you down.

Subject58 Pick up the DVD: listening to the director's commentary adds an overlay of seriousness that is-- on further reflection--a kind of simplification. It's all about where we were, how long the shot was, who added what, and how much it cost. "That's really Trisha Yearwood...those are her own clothes..." While the movie has its own sweet compelling (if minor) power (a sort of American Idol thang, as if you see it from the pov of the wanna be), there's something immensely tragic about having to face the fact that THIS is what the director of The Last Picture Show comes to... Then there's the tragedy of the loss of River Phoenix, this being the last film he completed; measured against the joy of seeing the young Sandra Bullock. Some of the advice Bogdanovich gives about cutting is really useful, and there's something tender about his obvious love for the actors...even if manifests itself in lines like "I thought...this kid is not just brilliant, he's also commercial." Alas...it turns out that the director was / is more commercial than brilliant.

Iloverabbits 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.