LADYHAWKE

SYNOPSIS: A medieval pickpocket finds himself thrust into the middle of a tragic romance that forces him to help the couple find release from the curse that keeps them apart.

BOTTOM LINE: This film is one of my all-time favorite romances. It's got true love, comedy, suspense, heartbreak, mystery and a pure evil nemesis to the lover's future. Starring both an up-and-coming Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Broderick, it's a film that captures the imagination and stirs the heart. The film takes place in medieval times, casting Broderick as a pickpocket who gets dragged into the fate of the lovers, who are together yet separated by a curse. By day, Isabeau is a hawk and Navarre, her lover, roams the Earth, by night she regains her human form, while Navarre takes shape as a wolf. They see each other only fleetingly at sunrise and sunset, as they shift into their alter egos. The only way for the curse to be broken is for the Bishop, who began this unholy mess, to see them both together as humans. Believing this will never happen, Navarre is on a quest to kill the bishop, no matter what the consequences. Broderick and John Wood, an old friend of the couple, are the comic relief and the means by which the plot moves forward. The way Leo McKern, as the lustful bishop, looks at Pfeiffer will make your skin crawl. His desire is so palpable it helps make the story more believable. I know it sounds silly, but it's not as hokey as it sounds. Sure, the ending is no big surprise, but that's not what this romantic fantasy is all about. It's about love triumphing over evil and it does that in a very entertaining, exciting and lovely way. A magical treat that touches the heart.