I didn't know until the very end

Rating: 10/10 (14 December 2007)

how much I loved this movie. And I have to say it forced tears out of me quite violently. What a beautiful film.
As you can tell from the trailers this story is about the consequences of a misunderstanding. I don't know if people realize how much damage something like this can do. In the movies, it almost never happens. People say and do the right things all the time unless it's funny then wackiness ensues. But in real life it happens all the time. I almost wonder if some people will think that these things don't really happen and that it makes the movie unrealistic just because they're not used to seeing it.
Anyway, the film itself is beautiful and there is an incredibly amazing sequence when they get to a beach. It goes on for a few minutes and I really thought that was breathtaking. I don't think I'm familiar with the director but he did some great work. He and the cinematographer, because to look at it, it's just sumptuous. The cast was also amazing. A few different actresses played the young girl at different stages and I don't know if they really look that much alike or if I just bought into it because the movie was so absorbing, but they all did fantastic work. James McAvoy has one of those faces, it's so clear. You can't stop looking at him, kinda the same way you can't stop looking at Al Pacino. He was under-appreciated in 'The Last King of Scotland' so I'm glad to see he's getting some attention for another great role. And Keira Knightley continues to surprise me. Beautiful as she is she could just kick back and do a lot of vanity projects and collect Pirates royalties, but she continues to prove herself as an actress.
This movie will be loved by people who love a film like 'Doctor Zhivago' or 'The English Patient'. It's not as long as those but it fits into that epic love story genre. And Zhivago is on my very short list of favorites so I wouldn't say that lightly. There are some graphic scenes but of war wounds. Not the kind of graphic I was expecting. And there is one very bad word in it that becomes somewhat of a focal point. But if you're a mature individual who doesn't mind those things and who enjoys classic film with war and romance then this is most likely for you.