The Bridges of Madison County - 6 stars out of 10

The Bridges of Madison County - 6 stars out of 10

“The Bridges of Madison County” is an excellent story that moves at a slow pace.  I do believe that the pacing is necessary to cover the details of a 4-day affair and allow the necessary time for the characters’ feelings to properly develop; unfortunately, the film completely lacks momentum and has several boring stretches of quiet contemplation that can make the story tiresome.  Story and pacing aside, Meryl Streep is incredible.  How can one actress be so on-point for so long?  Her Italian accent is brilliant and her subtle emotional transformation is amazing.  Clint Eastwood is also great, bringing his raw character-type to this story.  These two do not seem like a likely pair but their chemistry works beautifully.  Even though things progress slower than I’d like it, it is all worth it for the payoff moment when they make eye contact in the rain.  Pure movie magic.  As asset to this film is its departure from the standard equation.  While there are certain inevitabilities, Streep’s character is far too deep and complex to allow the story to evolve as you expect.  I also found myself being very proud of her character for her final decisions.  The plot device of telling the story through diaries and flashbacks is effective, though I didn’t care for the acting of the modern-day characters.  I wouldn’t put “The Bridges of Madison County” on my favorites list but it was worth watching just for Streep and that moment in the rain.