Shameful backlash

Rating: 9/10 (24 January 2002)

For many films, it is a shame when they dominate the Oscars. Th eventual backlash obscures the quality of the film. That seems to be the case with The English Patient.
No movie deserves 9 Academy Awards. Not Citizen Kane, not the Godfather, not Casablanca. The English Patient inexplicably won just that many. This is justifiably enraging, but take the rage out on the academy not the film. The English Patient is a terrific film, reminiscent of the old epic Hollywood films. It easily deserved the Oscar for Best Picture. It is a beautiful and emotional film, with acting rarely seen on the big screen. Many may find it slow, but I for one find it fascinating.
Sadly, this film gets lumped together with other dominating films like Titanic and Shakespeare in Love. None of these films deserved as many awards as they got, but that should not take away from the films. Of the three, TEP is easily the best. Forget the awards and enjoy. 9 out of 10. If you also like this film, check out Dr. Zhivago. It is similarly long but beautiful to watch.