A Graphic, Compelling Love Story

Rating: 9/10 (25 January 2019)

29 December 2003. A deeply romantic love story set in a graphic, brutal war setting much in the same vein as Minghella's "The English Patient." Minghella brings to the screen the harsh, human brutality of war and its consequences in a mini-epic version as well as primarily offering the audience a haunting and powerful love story through looks, voice-overs, behavior, pregnant pauses with tidbits of humor. Nicole offers another outstanding performance along with Jude Law and Renée Zellweger in capturing the idealistic love of passion and commitment. Implicit in this movie is the insanity of war and its demeaning and cruel outcomes, particularly on women. A directly relevant and much needed reminder of reality in our times of today - the human cost of war must be kept in mind and the toll it takes in terms of love lost and families torn apart. Nine out of Ten Stars.