InformationRap
This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.
filippaberry84
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Lidia Draper
Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
Daniel_Fattibene
After reading over 200 reviews of "Wind", most of which praise it to the stars and rave and rave on, there is little I can add to such comments as "stirs the soul", "takes your breath away", "one of the best movies of all time", "should be on the shelf of every family with children", and "should be required viewing for young people and anyone bored with life". This film, one of the best examples of director Carroll Ballard's magic, will knock your socks off and blow you away with its excitement but realism (you will hear and feel the boats groaning and keening with the wind stresses!), and GREAT MESSAGES - It is about losing everything, and winning it all back again through individual and team angst and sheer will (I have shown parts of it to my science students not just for the physics of sailing, but for these timeless messages). Sailor or not, no matter how many times you watch it, it leaves you glowing for hours.
Steve Skafte
Or so says Abigail Weld (played by Rebecca Miller) at about the mid-point of Wind. Personally, I hadn't thought about it much either way. But I'm also not sure what director Carroll Ballard's own views on the subject are, or if he was at all successful in getting them on film. He certainly makes the sailboats into quite a brilliant on-screen spectacle, but there's a lack of personal feeling here. A missing piece to the overall picture. There's certainly a huge emphasis on human-to-human drama that Ballard's four other features lack. Coming from the director who, by this point, had made a pair of highly personal films where the two main themes were isolation and loneliness, I somehow found that aspect to be conspicuously lacking from Wind.The film opens underwater, looking up into the sun and a man floating on the surface. Will Parker (Matthew Modine) winds his way through the cove as Kate Bass (Jennifer Grey) looks on. It feels almost like a scene out of The Black Stallion. He comes to shore, and they talk about what could or may happen in his future. Matthew Modine is a good actor, and he tends to play normal, everyday people. He's likable, sure he is. I doubt that anyone truly hates Modine as an actor. But the character of Will Parker doesn't have a whole lot of deep internal conflict. Sure, he has decisions to make - but nothing resembling the dark corners of the soul in a character like Tyler from Never Cry Wolf. Actually, most of the other performances are quite good, if a bit underdeveloped. Stellan Skarsgård, in particular, is enjoyable to watch.There's lots to enjoy about Wind - if you're not looking for anything complicated. From a scriptwriting standpoint, a central theme is either missing, or maybe a little confused. Events and conversations seem to repeat themselves in an attempt to overfill in the blanks. But here's the problem - for all intents and purposes, the film doesn't really begin until 48 minutes in. When the scene shifts to six months later in the Nevada desert, it quickly becomes clear that anything which happened previously was merely a set-up for the rest of the film. In fact, the ensuing scenes are of all far higher caliber than those preceding them. A certain parallel comes up between the recapture of the America's Cup and the subplot of Will trying to get back together with Kate. Not exactly the most original bit of scripting ever.So what really makes Wind worth the watch? The real star of the film - its cinematography. This is truly a great-looking film. John Toll makes a lot of what might otherwise be dull technical work into a stunning visual display. Many scenes stand out beyond his obviously brilliant work in the sailing sequences. The part where Kate tests a sail out in the desert is absolutely breathtaking. Just like Carroll Ballard's other films, the most visually stunning photography is in the quiet moments. But since Wind runs a little short on those, the camera-work doesn't find much time to wander. The music, on the other hand (composed by Basil Poledouris) is really nothing special. He does everything well but nothing new. This is not a movie you go to for its soundtrack. It must be said that the lack of overall cohesion in this film is disappointing. It is a very slight story, not possessing of any real meat or meaning. The actors have neither the quality of dialogue nor the specific motivation to live up to John Toll's cinematography.I've read interviews where Carroll Ballard talked about his relative unease with the drama between characters in this film, how it didn't flow as well as expected. And I sympathize with that. But at the end of it all - who really cares about the America's Cup anyhow? Not the average film-goer, apparently. And, unfortunately, not me either.
bensails
The film student in me appreciates this movie, the sailor in me loves it. A classic among the sailing community, it is beautifully shot, and tells a convincing fable about the costs of blind ambition and the value of redemption. The maincharacter, Will Parker, is loosely based on Dennis Connor and his performance at the 1983 and 1987 America's Cups. One of the few movies about sailboatracing, does turn heavy-handed at some points, but overall is an appreciable, tightly made film with high production values. I would recommend it.
Pepper Anne
Wind is a great look at the sport of competitive sailing and also contains a bit of insight into mechanical engineering and the process of design and development. Matthew Modine is Will Parker, a good sailor who is slightly overconfident about his skills. He joins the crew for the America Cup, but his actions help to lose the nation's undefeated title to their tough Australian rivals. This was more than just a loss of the cup to the new world champions, but it also ended his relationship with girlfriend Kate Bass (Jennifer Grey) and sent the boat captain into a bout of depression. But, Will Parker, with the next Cup race rolling around, Will Parker wants to reunite a team, and seeks the help of Kate and her new beau Joe (Stellan Skarsgård) to help him rebuild his confidence, his team, and a better boat. Will and his team challenge the Aussie's to defend their title for a second year. Indeed, as another viewer wrote, the movie is rather long. But, the subject of the movie is really something different, and the photography is just beautiful as you get the first-person perspective of competitive sailing, and it really gives an appreciation of what all goes into the sport, even the traditions. Modine's character is a little annoying because he sometimes obnoxiously boasts his masculinity to Kate as though trying to show up her new boyfriend, Joe. It's worth catching if you can find it around.
