As stated in the Art of War review, it's usually a bad omen when a film is not screened for critics. This is definitely the case with the love story Autumn in New York, a most disheartening directorial debut from actress Joan Chen.

Richard Gere plays a womanizing business man who meets his match in the form of the stunning Winona Ryder. During their courtship, Ryder drops the bombshell it seems she is dying from a heart disorder.

Autumn in New York aspires to be one of those old fashioned films we rarely get to see anymore. It fuses the old school romance with the tearjerking touches of Love Story and the far superior Untamed Heart. Gere is nothing special here, but Ryder has a lot of class and glows with energy. It's hard to figure out where Autumn in New York goes so wrong, given the extraordinary talent involved. The film has strong moments (including a terrific scene in which Ryder accuses Gere of sleeping with another woman) but as it plods along, you find yourself losing interest. As you might imagine, Ryder's intervention is supposed to make Gere's character recognize the error of his ways, but the real question is would this selfish man have stayed with this woman if she weren't sick? I get the feeling that the answer is no.

Joan Chen has a talent for working with other actors, and really tries to allow her cast to shine, but it just doesn't work without good material. The truly great romance of the year remains Return to Me.