FOR THE MOMENT

Written and Directed by Aaron Kim Johnston

I had never heard of For The Moment, a 1993 Canadian production starring Russell Crowe, which is being released in concurrence with Master and Commander. I will admit I was a tad nervous when I learned that I had to review this film. There are plenty of old films shelved in vaults for very good reasons. Occasionally, studios will hit the lottery when previously unknown talents become box office powerhouses. Those old projects get new life from name recognition only to reveal to the rest of us why the films were shelved in the first place.

Luckily for us all, this is not the case regarding For The Moment, a touching love story set during 1942 in Manitoba, Canada as men from Allied countries came to train in preparation to be pilots in WWII. The main story is about Australian Lachlan falling in love with Manitoba farmer, Lill, who has a husband flying planes over Europe.

It is a tad melodramatic but not to the point of being sickly sweet. The story had familiar moments, but there were times before a scene could disappoint that Johnston would write the story into an unexpected direction, making the film richer and more interesting. Sure, if you don’t like romances it might not be your first choice, but the story had a complexity in the way it dealt with relationships and issues that I wasn’t expecting. The film presents an adult view of romance. There are a few subplots that Johnston develops into important parts of the story without causing the film to feel weighed down.

This Canadian production was released in 1993 before Russell made his big splash with L.A. Confidential. You can sense big things in his future from his performance. He has an amazing on screen charisma and is interesting to watch. He conveys different emotions with a look or a gesture and commands your attention.

This film would be a good choice for a family situation during the holidays where there are a number of people trying to agree and you need something for everybody.

The DVD is bare bones, offering only the film in widescreen, English and Spanish subtitles and a couple of trailers for 20th Century Fox films. This will probably be the only version ever available unless this edition sells through the roof; so don’t expect a special edition.