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The Fires Within (1991)
Released By: MGM Home Entertainment   Rating: R   In Theaters: N/A
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Studio: MGM Home Entertainment
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Paul Schrader
Language: English
Official Website: N/A
Theatrical Release: N/A
Home Video Release: N/A
Cast: Greta Scacchi, Jimmy Smits
Published ID: 4009
UPC: 027616869500,
Plot: A Cuban woman who escapes to America finds herself in political, financial, and romantic jeopardy in this taut drama. Cuban refugee Isabel (Greta Scacchi) flees her country and makes her way to Miami after her husband, Nestor (Jimmy Smits), a political activist, is sentenced to a long stay in a Cuban jail. In their dangerous voyage to the United States, Isabel and her daughter are rescued by Sam (Vincent D'Onofrio), a fisherman from Miami; Sam helped Isabel find her way in her new home, and a romance blossoms between the two. However, when Nestor is finally released from prison eight years later and escapes to Miami to be with his wife, he discovers that Isabel's affections are now divided between himself and Sam, while his daughter barely remembers or recognizes him. Danger faces all three sides of this romantic triangle; Sam is asked to use his boat to smuggle Cuban dissidents into Miami, Nestor falls in with a radical fringe group hoping to stage an armed invasion of Cuba, and Isabel, who has become involved with a numbers racket, is in deep trouble after several massive payments were made to someone who never placed a bet. Fires Within was also shown under the title Little Havana; it premiered in Miami, appropriately enough, in its short-lived theatrical release. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
IDDateTimeTitleReviewHelpfulVotesTotalVotes
For Love of Vincent, Watch this Movie.
Added 3/4/2005

He is,as always,mesmerizing! The story is a standard soapy pot-boiler that borrows rather heavily in my opinion from "Casablanca". But Scacchi is no Bergman and Smits did not compel me to root for him, nor did I see in him the nobility I sensed from Victor Lazlo.
But D'Onofrio smolders! He suffers beautifully and when he crashes the party I thought of "Wuthering Heights". (What a Heathcliff that man would make!)
How could any woman turn him away?

31 out of 33 people found this helpful.
Both Stars are for D'Onofrio
Added 1/28/2005

I too bought this on VHS for Vincent D'Onofrio. My only negative comment about his performance is that there's not enough of it! I'll say right here and now that I'm not a big fan of Smits or Scacchi, and D'Onofrio overpowers them every time he's on screen. It's a beautiful story, and I can see why director Gillian Armstrong was attracted to it - it is a love story with a bit of real-life depth (rather than those soapy ones where the ridiculous problems are created by the characters for lack of imagination - Julia Roberts films, anyone?). That being said, the two lead roles needed to be played by stronger actors, and ones that could keep up with D'Onofrio vivacity. Worth a look for fans.
27 out of 29 people found this helpful.
Changing places
Added 4/27/2002

I bought this video only because Vincent D'Onofrio is in it. I had previously purchased The Whole Wide World which is an amazingly wonderful,mostly unseen film of immense power and D'Onofrio's portrayal of Robert Howard in that film just blew me away. He has to be the most underrated actor in films!! He is also one of the most romantic film kissers ever!- He likes to do character roles and is superb in them as well but I wanted to see him in another romantic film and Fires Within looked interesting. He plays the lover, not the husband, and is so sexy and natural that Jimmy Smits pales by comparison. The ending is unbelievable and nearly spoils the movie for me, but I will probably see it over many times just because of D'Onofrio's performance.

However, see this movie! You won't be sorry. And don't miss The Whole Wide World. It is in my all-time top ten dramas. First,probably.


63 out of 74 people found this helpful.
For Love of Vincent, Watch this Movie.
Added 3/4/2005

He is,as always,mesmerizing! The story is a standard soapy pot-boiler that borrows rather heavily in my opinion from "Casablanca". But Scacchi is no Bergman and Smits did not compel me to root for him, nor did I see in him the nobility I sensed from Victor Lazlo.
But D'Onofrio smolders! He suffers beautifully and when he crashes the party I thought of "Wuthering Heights". (What a Heathcliff that man would make!)
How could any woman turn him away?

31 out of 33 people found this helpful.
Both Stars are for D'Onofrio
Added 1/28/2005

I too bought this on VHS for Vincent D'Onofrio. My only negative comment about his performance is that there's not enough of it! I'll say right here and now that I'm not a big fan of Smits or Scacchi, and D'Onofrio overpowers them every time he's on screen. It's a beautiful story, and I can see why director Gillian Armstrong was attracted to it - it is a love story with a bit of real-life depth (rather than those soapy ones where the ridiculous problems are created by the characters for lack of imagination - Julia Roberts films, anyone?). That being said, the two lead roles needed to be played by stronger actors, and ones that could keep up with D'Onofrio vivacity. Worth a look for fans.
27 out of 29 people found this helpful.
Changing places
Added 4/27/2002

I bought this video only because Vincent D'Onofrio is in it. I had previously purchased The Whole Wide World which is an amazingly wonderful,mostly unseen film of immense power and D'Onofrio's portrayal of Robert Howard in that film just blew me away. He has to be the most underrated actor in films!! He is also one of the most romantic film kissers ever!- He likes to do character roles and is superb in them as well but I wanted to see him in another romantic film and Fires Within looked interesting. He plays the lover, not the husband, and is so sexy and natural that Jimmy Smits pales by comparison. The ending is unbelievable and nearly spoils the movie for me, but I will probably see it over many times just because of D'Onofrio's performance.

However, see this movie! You won't be sorry. And don't miss The Whole Wide World. It is in my all-time top ten dramas. First,probably.


63 out of 74 people found this helpful.
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IDPriceImageUrlPurchaseUrlIdTypeBindingStore
VHS
$6.98 @ Amazon
DVD
$13.49 @ Amazon