Bed & Breakfast (1991) Online

Bed and Breakfast was made back in 1989 but only got a limited release in 1992, I haven't seen it on video or DVD but I managed to catch it on an afternoon on British TV.

It's one of the only Roger Moore films I hadn't seen, so it was a joy to see him here in his first post Bond film (he seemed to semi-retire after A View to a Kill). He's always had a knack of looking ten years younger than what he really was so he's well cast as a healthy tanned charming English gent(but of course)who enters the lives of 3 generations of women, a widow, Talia Shire, her mother in law, Colleen Dewhurst and daughter, Nina Siemasko, when he's washed ashore mysteriously.

We know that he's in some sort of trouble as there's a rather badly staged scene where he's being beaten up and thrown overboard a yacht, but to the three women, he a breath of fresh air to their individually frustrated lives. Claiming he has Amnesia to avoid explaining his situation the women welcome him into their coastal guest house where he begins to recieve free board and food if he agrees to be the man about the house and fix up the place.

This is quite a gentle small scale picture with good performances and it proves that Moore has got genuine charm rather than depending on his ultra smooth or sleazy Bond style approach. This is not Oscar worthy stuff but this forgotten little gem should be given more recognition and Moore should be considered a better actor than he usually is.

The fault of this movie lies though with the lack of thrills, it is obviously a romantic tale, but we don't seem to discover what Moore's character is really up to and the ending seems a little half hearted..

Roger Moore, my fave Bond, finally gets a chance to show his acting chops. This flick is about a mysterious stranger who comes into the lives of three very different women and has a gorgeous Maine setting.

The only weak point is an out of place crime subplot. But it's wrapped up not too shabbily by the cast, director, and screenwriter. The screenplay could've been better, but all in all it's a mildly amusing, slight, harmless movie.

This film made me also realize that actor Jake Weber, who plays a hitman in this film, was not Alan Cumming. I always thought Alan was the guy from Meet Joe Black. They look so much alike, I guess it was easy for me to confuse them as the same dude.

I just wish old Rog would do some more dramatic roles in films like this. I always thought it would be great if Stanley Kubrick had cast Roger in Sydney Pollack's role in Eyes Wide Shut. Kinda like how Quentin Tarantino took a chance on Robert Forester, another under appreciated actor, in Jackie Brown. Ah, well, what might have been...

But I, as usual, well, not that usual, digress. See Bed & Breakfast. Dig?

This light comedy romance has the interesting clash of cultural differences and an easy to understand authentic Brazilian actress portraying a Brazilian character (though her presence in American films has been extremely limited). Her physical appearance doesn't quite rise to the level of extremely gorgeous or beautiful like those of Salma Heyak or Jennifer Lopez., at least as she was made up for this film. Dean Cain performs as he usually does with typical confidence. Both principles offer up a nice screen presence. The storyline is slightly different from many romantic comedies though nothing like a break out. All the supporting cast blend well into the movie's plot and make nice contributions of their own. An entertaining and likeable movie. For a similar contrast see Bottle Shock (2008) that focuses on wine and romance along with a bit of English/French/British tone or a romantic drama Walk in the Clouds (1995) with Keanu Reeves who portrays a returning soldier who impersonates a fiancée so that a woman he just met wouldn't have to face humiliation in front of her father as she returns home.

I've got two favorite Robert Ellis Miller films - "Hawks" (featuring Timothy Dalton) and "Bed & Breakfast" (featuring Roger Moore , Colleen Dewhurst and Talia Shire) which originally was considered as a TV movie , but it was found very interesting so it was shown at cinemas. (The film was made in 1989 but it was first shown in 1992.)I'm not surprised because it's one of the best movies I've ever seen. Whole cast is just great but especially Roger Moore who proves that he's someone more than the Saint or Bond. He's a great actor.

Bed and Breakfast is one of the few films that Roger Moore made following his departure from the James Bond hotseat in 1985, after A View to a Kill. At the height of his popularity (and employment) in the 1970s, Moore was frequently criticised for giving simplistic performances in roles which demanded virtually nothing of his talents. Ironically, this film features perhaps his best performance of all, yet was made at a time when he appeared in hardly any films at all.

The story is undeniably slight, but diverting all the same. It tells of a con man (Moore) who is washed ashore - bruised and beaten after being thrown off a gangster's yacht - on a beach in Maine. The nearest building is a ramshackle bed and breakfast hotel run by three generations of women, all from the same family and all constantly bickering about their (unimpressive) lot in life. Moore talks his way into their lives and awakens long repressed sexuality in all three of them. Then, predictably, the gangsters he was involved with earlier turn up and threaten his ruse....

The gangster subplot is quite hokey and does little to increase the interest of the picture. The film would have been enjoyable enough without it. However, the inter-relationship between Moore and the three isolated, frustrated women makes for intriguing and occasionally heart warming viewing, and gives all the actors the chance to deliver some excellent dialogue. The background photography, capturing the lovely Maine seascapes, is a treat throughout.

Bed and Breakfast is a film that everyone should see. No classic, true enough, but definitely one of Moore's best films and a totally harmless and civilised way to while away a lazy afternoon.

Claire is a widower with a teenage daughter Cassie who runs a hotel with her mother in law, Ruth. Claire is trapped in an introspective world of mourning, Ruth longs for a man just to make her feel young again while Cassie is just discovering the world of sex and love. Into this mix comes a man who survived being thrown off a boat many miles out to sea. Adam settles in nicely but the men who thought he was dead are still after him.

I didn't have high hopes for this and it didn't let me down. The plot is very light despite the efforts to give it some drama with the crime subplot. However this subplot is a very damp squib indeed and climaxes with all the excitement and tension of a fart in a wet bag. The main story is the relationship between the three women and Adam, this is what should have made the film but this too is unconvincing for the most part. Adam affects them all in different ways and sparks things in each of them, however it is very sedentary and gets a bit dull after a while.

If the romance and the relationships had had a little more sparkle to them then it would have been a lot better, as it is only Dewhurst manages to bring some fire to her role but even then it seems very OTT and hammy in the middle of so much quietness. Moore is actually very good but only because he looks like he's got his tongue in his cheek the whole time with that constantly raised eyebrow! But he is nicely understated and doesn't make fun of the film so much as enjoy it's gentle pace. Oh – and how does he always manage to look 15 years younger than he is!?

Siemaszko is OK but has little to do but throw teenage strops etc. Shire meanwhile just takes it too seriously. This could have been a light romantic drama but instead she drags it's mood way down. She spends too much of the film sitting and staring into space looking sad. While Moore tries to be tanned and lively she just looks pale and sad. I know that her character demanded some of that in the role, but too much starts to sink the enjoyment a bit.

Overall I have to say that this is an average film that will probably only appeal to Moore complete-ists or those whose standard for entertainment starts and ends with daytime TV movies. It has a nice romantic, fun side to it but this edge is dulled by the majority of the film.

Roger Moore (who, incidentally, has always been my favorite Bond)gives a relaxed and enjoyable performance, and he seems to be in surprisingly good shape, too, considering his age. But the rest of the film is dull, awkwardly directed, with a needless "crime movie" subplot. Talia Shire gives her typical performance.

Bed and Breakfast i think has got to be one of the best romantic movies i have very seen. The Actors and Actresses are fantastic and they were brilliant in this movie. Ford Rainey, who is now 95, i think is doing very well in his age. I think he's got to be one of the oldest actors. He is still on tv, but i think now he is making guest appearances on allsorts of tv series. I give the movie 10 out of 10.

This is a very fine movie which stars my favourite actor, Roger Moore, after seing this movie i realised Roger Moore is the finest actor ever. Moore lights up the screen, he was great in the lead role. This movie is a dramatic one and it`s one of those you remember afterwards and enjoy watching, it`s filled with great landscapes, fine music and a great dialougue which couldn`t have been portrayed better then it has been done here. The movie senter around a family of grandmother, mother, daughter and the unknown man which enters there lifes and turn it upside down. Roger Moore is great and extremely handsome of course.

The look and feel of this straight-to-dustbin film is exceptionally poor at best; I'm pretty surprised an actor of Roger Moore's calibre agreed to this poppycock. If you are indeed looking to spend 1hr 37mins of your life watching a film with great dialogue; a slick narrative; subplots and defined characters, then good luck trying to find it in this garbage. It is however, very quickly, worth mentioning Roger Moore putting in a typically assured performance - playing Roger Moore. There is as well, I suppose, some slight titillation in the film for women of a certain age, as we see that famed brow raising far more than just a menopausal pulse or two.

The film also stars Talia Shire (better known as Burt Young's sister in the Rocky films) and some other people.

We start the film with Adam (Moore) taking a refreshing swim after being thrown from a yacht by a gang of unconvincing mobsters - all sporting regulation sunglasses, baggy suits, lacquered hair, and all providing limited acting ability. Moore, I mean Adam, is soon washed ashore a picturesque New Hampshire coastline suffering amnesia, and is taken in by three generations of women who live close by.

It doesn't take Moore too long to ingratiate himself with Grandmother, Mother and Daughter (Shire plays the mother); scoring free bed and board by doing jobs around their home, and standing around looking more tanned than usual. The three of them are soon under the spell of Adam (no surprise there) and the rest of the film meanders around his relationship with each of the women.

Although Moore takes a decent stab at trying to act his way through this tripe and elevate the tone of the film: with the odd one-liner here, and the slight baring of chest there. In spite of this, he is sadly let down by the rest of the cast, and this appalling script. Even the eyebrow was fighting a losing battle in this dross. As for the rest of the film, well the less said the better.

4 stars for Moore, and 2 for the eyebrow.

This is one of the best romantic comedies I have seen. More of a romantic, and less of a comedy, never the less, Roger Moore is brilliant in his role of a "handy-man". The storyline is fine, and there are many moments in the movie that are simply very enjoyable. The performance is great, and the events and character's feelings in this movie are excellently backed up by David Shire's music. Overall, the movie and the music is great. I saw this movie on a local TV once or twice. Too bad I couldn't find this movie anywhere to buy, and after finding out that it had a very limited release on VHS/DVD... I think it's just too bad, because this is a movie worth having in the collection.

Robert Ellis Miller & co has got an unusual taste for details. He doesn`t run around with the camera, but let you relax, study and enjoy the surroundings. The story itself is simple, it is the conversations and the meanings that is important here. The filming has been done in Maine, and that is a great reason to see this film. Roger Moore shows what class he has got.. The music is done by David Shire and "the bellamy jass band", and is of the greatest film-scores I`ve ever heard. If you are into art or music, this film is perfect!