Better Than Some Would Have You Believe

Rating: 7/10 (16 December 2001)

No, it's not a great film, but it's a lot better than some would have you believe. Essentially, it's a 1940's style war film. This means patriotic verbal expressions and images, and a less than obsessive sense of historical accuracy. But (despite the marketing) that isn't the film's point. It's a romantic fantasy and a very good one at that. If you expect more from it, then you'll be disappointed in it. But I don't think this is a fault with the film. It's the fault of the expectations we bring to it, and a brow-beating marketing campaign. If you want to compare it to something, compare it to "From Here to Eternity." It's in that genre of films. While not a great film, it is certainly a good, entertaining one. And for a long movie (183 minutes), it flies by very quickly.