Up Close and Personal -

A captivating love story which is framed by a pointless and shallow rehash of A Star Is Born. Up Close and Personal follows the rising star of Tally Atwater (Michelle Pfeiffer), as she climbs up the ladder of television news reporting. When she first breaks onto the scene at a Miami TV station, she attracts the eye of veteran reporter Warren Justice (Robert Redford). Justice at first becomes her mentor, teaching her the ins and outs of the job, as well as a strong sense of journalistic integrity. As time goes on, Tally rises in her position, and the two fall in love. The film doesn’t strive for much in its portrayal of the televison news business (the message doesn’t get deeper than ‘news should be about the truth rather than entertainment’). However, the film banks its success on the sheer star power of Pfeiffer and Redford…and it doesn’t have to look much farther. The pair do have chemistry on the screen, and they manage to carry the mostly predictable film.