An English socialite gives up her luxurious lifestyle when she falls in love with a doctor and follows him to Africa, to help those suffering in poverty.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 20-DEC-2005
Media Type: DVDRomantic adventure, marital crisis, and the tragedy of global hunger are combined with mixed but respectable results in
Beyond Borders, starring Angelina Jolie in a role that reflects her off-screen efforts as a United Nations goodwill ambassador. Jolie plays a naive American socialite, unhappily married and living in London, whose life is revolutionized when a passionate doctor (Clive Owen, replacing original costar Kevin Costner) draws her into the cause of humanitarian aid in the world's most dangerous political hot-spots including Ethiopia, Cambodia (where Jolie adopted her first child), and Chechnya in the 1! 980s and '90s. Directed by Martin (
Goldeneye) Campbell, who replaced Oliver Stone during troubled pre-production, this well-meaning film suffers from schizophrenic priorities: Is it a globetrotting love story? An impassioned political exposé? Powerful scenes and fine performances can't entirely offset the film's identity crisis, and the ending strives for a quality of martyrdom that it doesn't really earn.
--Jeff ShannonWHILE ATTENDING A FUNDRAISING GALA, SARAH, A NAIVE, MARRIED AMERICAN SOCIALITE LIVING IN ENGLAND, WITNESSES A FIERY PLEADELIVERED BY DR NICK CALLAHAN. HIS PLEA MADE ON BEHALF OG IMPOVERISHED AFRICAN CHILDREN UNDER HIS CARE, TURNS HER LIFEUPSIDE DOWN. SHE ABANDONS HER LIFE TO WORK ALONGSIDE HIM.Romantic adventure, marital crisis, and the tragedy of global hunger are combined with mixed but respectable results in
Beyond Borders, starring Angelina Jolie in a role that reflects her off-screen efforts as a United Nations goodwill ambassador.! Jolie plays a naive American socialite, unhappily married and! living in London, whose life is revolutionized when a passionate doctor (Clive Owen, replacing original costar Kevin Costner) draws her into the cause of humanitarian aid in the world's most dangerous political hot-spots including Ethiopia, Cambodia (where Jolie adopted her first child), and Chechnya in the 1980s and '90s. Directed by Martin (
Goldeneye) Campbell, who replaced Oliver Stone during troubled pre-production, this well-meaning film suffers from schizophrenic priorities: Is it a globetrotting love story? An impassioned political exposé? Powerful scenes and fine performances can't entirely offset the film's identity crisis, and the ending strives for a quality of martyrdom that it doesn't really earn.
--Jeff ShannonFeaturing readings from today's leading scholars, activists and policymakers, Beyond Borders helps today's college students navigate our increasingly globalized world and think critically about their place in it. This powerful col! lection encourages students to not only understand the global realities we are faced with today but also the history that gave rise to them. In addition to introducing students to the major forces of globalization, the significant treaties and events, and the organizations involved, Beyond Borders challenges students to shift and broaden their perspective by examining the experiences of people across the globe.  In classic Rothenberg style, in-depth part introductions provide a conceptual framework for understanding the issues at hand and "Questions for Thinking, Writing, and Discussion" at the conclusion of each part challenge students to think deeper about the issues presented.
Romantic adventure, marital crisis, and the tragedy of global hunger are combined with mixed but respectable results in
Beyond Borders, starring Angelina Jolie in a role that reflects her off-screen efforts as a United Nations goodwill ambassador. Jolie plays a naive A! merican socialite, unhappily married and living in London, who! se life is revolutionized when a passionate doctor (Clive Owen, replacing original costar Kevin Costner) draws her into the cause of humanitarian aid in the world's most dangerous political hot-spots including Ethiopia, Cambodia (where Jolie adopted her first child), and Chechnya in the 1980s and '90s. Directed by Martin (
Goldeneye) Campbell, who replaced Oliver Stone during troubled pre-production, this well-meaning film suffers from schizophrenic priorities: Is it a globetrotting love story? An impassioned political exposé? Powerful scenes and fine performances can't entirely offset the film's identity crisis, and the ending strives for a quality of martyrdom that it doesn't really earn.
--Jeff ShannonRomantic adventure, marital crisis, and the tragedy of global hunger are combined with mixed but respectable results in
Beyond Borders, starring Angelina Jolie in a role that reflects her off-screen efforts as a United Nations goodwill ambassador. Jolie plays a ! naive American socialite, unhappily married and living in London, whose life is revolutionized when a passionate doctor (Clive Owen, replacing original costar Kevin Costner) draws her into the cause of humanitarian aid in the world's most dangerous political hot-spots including Ethiopia, Cambodia (where Jolie adopted her first child), and Chechnya in the 1980s and '90s. Directed by Martin (
Goldeneye) Campbell, who replaced Oliver Stone during troubled pre-production, this well-meaning film suffers from schizophrenic priorities: Is it a globetrotting love story? An impassioned political exposé? Powerful scenes and fine performances can't entirely offset the film's identity crisis, and the ending strives for a quality of martyrdom that it doesn't really earn.
--Jeff ShannonOne of America’s greatest performers, Bobby Darin lived a rags-to-riches life. He worked his way from shady nightclubs to his dream destination, The Copacabana, where he wowed crowds with ! "Splish Splash," "Mack the Knife" and other hits. He was a ma! rvel at singing, songwriting and performing â€" stealing the hearts of fans everywhere despite the suffering in his own hear.The chameleon-like actor Kevin Spacey is best known for playing pyschopaths (in
Seven and
The Usual Suspects) and capturing a creepy mid-life crisis in
American Beauty--but surprisingly, playing crooner Bobby Darin, Spacey does some snappy dancing and top-notch singing.
Beyond the Sea puts Darin's life through a bit of a kaleidoscope: While singing Darin's most memorable hit, "Mack the Knife," Darin suddenly stops the show, revealing that he's not at a nightclub, but in the middle of a shooting a scene about his life as a nightclub performer. Why has he stopped? Because he's just seen himself as a young boy, peering from behind a curtain. Such self-conscious narrative twists recur throughout the movie, turning Darin's fight for fame and respect into a love story between his adult and childhood selves. Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth,
W! in a Date with Tad Hamilton!), a hugely popular movie star in her own right, was supposedly the love of Darin's life, but she never holds his attention as does his childhood self (played by newcomer William Ullrich). It's a striking metaphor for the narcissism that drives such success-hungry entertainers. But despite (or perhaps because of) the complexity of the telling, the events never grip your emotions; though Darin's life featured hits galore and a few soap opera twists, his story lacks the seductive charm of his nighclub show. Also featuring Bob Hoskins, John Goodman, Brenda Blethyn, and Greta Scacchi.
--Bret Fetzer
