Autumn In New York

Reviewed by Vivian Rose, age 15, from US

"Autumn in New York" features a thin, weak plot, poorly dolled up in a lot of affected, artsy-fartsy poetic dialogue. This movie has no substance whatsoever unless you really like sweet and sappy talk robotically read by actors who should be able to find better roles.

Wynona Ryder plays a dying twenty-two year old who gets involved with a man old enough to be her father - that would be Richard Gere. This womanizer has apparently broken quite a few hearts, and probably ticked off a lot of women. No wonder he likes Ryder - he probably figures she'll croak before he has to dump her. That'll save him a lot of trouble. He sounds like a first-class jerk to me.

Gere's only apparent character development is that he finally starts a relationship with his now grown daughter - he evidently never wanted anything to do with her when she was a child. This really has nothing to do with his relationship to Ryder, aside from the fact that his daughter helps him find Ryder a heart surgeon.

OK, plot spoiler ahead - Ryder dies. Bet you didn't see that coming, huh? Here's how I would have written the movie - Ryder lives, and Gere dies. At least the audience wouldn't be expecting that. Sudden deaths are much better for movies.

Incidentally, my best friend, who likes sappy chick flicks, enjoyed "Autumn in New York" - but she didn't like the fact that Ryder's character died. I didn't like anything about this slow, dull movie.

Rating: PG-13 (For language and some sensuality)