Love Ranch – An eOne Films’ Release

 

DVD Release Date: November 9th, 2010

Rated 18A for sexual content and coarse language

Running time: 117 minutes

 

Taylor Hackford (dir.)

 

Mark Jacobson (writer)

 

Chris Bacon (music)

 

Helen Mirren as Grace Bontempo

Joe Pesci as Charlie Bontempo

Sergio Peris-Mencheta as Armando Bruza

 

Our reviews below:

____________________________________________

Love Ranch DVD Review By John C.

** (out of 4)

In 1976, Charlie Bontempo (Joe Pesci) and his wife Grace (Helen Mirren) ran the Love Ranch – a Nevada brothel for legal prostitution.  They came under fire from religious groups who wanted to make such places illegal.  The film also tells us the story of Bruza (Sergio Peris-Mencheta), an Argentinian boxer who comes under the wing of the ranch, adding a third plotline and a possible love interest for Grace.

 

Although it has it’s moments, what Love Ranch lacks is a palpable sense of tension or moral dilemmas, making it feel boring, predictable and contrived.  Despite the very talented cast, Love Ranch is a tacky melodrama that feels more worthy of cable than the big screen.

 

The DVD includes commentary with director Taylor Hackford, deleted scenes, and an introduction by Hackford and his wife, Helen Mirren.

___________________________________________________________________________

Love Ranch DVD Review By Erin V.

** (out of 4)

Inspired by a true story, Love Ranch is about Charlie (Joe Pesci) and Grace (Helen Mirren) Bontempo – the owners of the Love Ranch in Nevada.  Charlie decides that they (or rather Grace) should manage Argentinean boxer Bruza (Sergio Peris-Mencheta) to bring in extra business for the ranch, which leads to a whole new set of problems for them.

 

The biggest problem I found with this film, is that it doesn’t know what it is.  On the one hand, it is a movie about legal prostitution, on the other a boxing movie, and somewhere in there, it’s about love at an older age and the fear of growing old as well.

 

Sure, I don’t mind a film that has more than one tone to it’s story (great films often do), but if it feels like one doesn’t go smoothly with the other – well blended – then I quickly get bored.  I was looking at the clock half way through, shocked that it wasn’t nearly over.  It’s not the worst film I’ve seen all year, but it certainly isn’t worth more than a rental for curiosities sake in my book.

___________________________________________________________________________

Love Ranch DVD Review By Nicole

** (out of 4)

Love Ranch is a slow-paced melodrama about Nevada’s first legal brothel.  Loosely based on a true story, this movie is about the love triangle between Grace (Helen Mirren, Charlie (Joe Pesci), and an Argentinian boxer named Bruza (Sergio Peris-Mencheta).  Of course, in this kind of film, things won’t end well.

 

What could have been an interesting moral debate, instead has become a boring film.  Yes, the film does give a glimpse into some of the harsh realities of how women in the sex trade are treated, but mainly this film is just two straight hours of melodrama.  Even the acting was a little boring.  Although not terrible, Love Ranch is only worth a rental at most.

___________________________________________________________________________

Love Ranch DVD Review By Maureen

** (out of 4)

Love Ranch could just as easily been ‘Yawn Ranch.’  For a movie that has brothels, boxing, love triangles and a murder as part of the plot there wasn’t much sense of excitement or tension.  Even the sex scenes seemed a little boring.

 

Inspired by the true story of Nevada’s first legal brothel, Love Ranch could have been really interesting.  Instead, it’s a melodrama with a made for T.V.  feel.  The three lead actors, Helen Mirren as brothel owner Grace, Joe Pesci as her sleazy husband Charlie and Sergio Peris-Mencheta as boxer/stud Bruza, all do their best with a mediocre script.  It just feels like their talents are wasted on this one.

 

The one part of the movie I did like was the growing friendship between aging Grace and the much younger Bruza.  The Nevada scenery was also lovely to look at.  Helen Mirren fans may be curious enough to check out Love Ranch, however there are better Mirren films to watch.  This one is worth, at most, a rental.

___________________________________________________________________________

Love Ranch DVD Review By Tony

**1/2 (out of 4)

Love Ranch is about the first legal brothel in Nevada and the couple who ran it in the 1970s, Charlie Bontempo (Joe Pesci) and his wife Grace (Helen Mirren). Their longtime marriage has evolved mainly into a successful business arrangement, with Charlie as the visionary builder and Grace as the day-to-day manager of the books and the women. Charlie is a vile small time hood who sees his employees as playthings, while Grace tries to maintain some dignity for herself and her workers, defending them against feminist and religious protestors. When Charlie tries to promote a heavyweight boxer from Argentina (Sergio Peris-Mencheta) who inevitably awakens feelings in Grace, things take a tragic turn.

 

Despite competent direction by Taylor Hackford (Helen Mirren’s spouse) and strong performances as expected from the two leads, Love Ranch is a difficult film to like as it dramatizes some of the worst aspects of American subculture, from prostitution to boxing and all the corruption that goes with them.

___________________________________________________________________________

Consensus: With a talented cast, Love Ranch has it’s moments, but it too often plays as a contrived and boring melodrama that feels as if it were made for TV. ** (Out of 4)