Wonderful!

Rating: 9/10 (11 May 1999)

After I see a film, I read the IMDB reviews to compare my thoughts on the movie to others'. And I've discovered a new trend--every time I like a movie for its depth, its intelligence, and its refusal to bow to normal Hollywood mediocrity, it seems that other IMDB reviewers HATE it.
I read Ondaatje's novel several years ago, before it was made into a movie, and was absolutely enthralled. It's turned into one of those books that I can devour over and over again, finding new things every time. So I was thrilled to hear that it was going to be made into a film.
Like everyone else, the first thing I noticed about the film was the incredible cinematography. This was the first movie ever that made me want to go to the desert. But then I found myself drawn in by the characters. I found Almasy and Katherine to be truly tragic figures...yes, they sinned, but look how they were punished for it in the end. I found the movie to be a very powerful reminder of how situations can spiral out of control. I wonder whether they were able to find peace with themselves.
I do wish that they had shown more of the relationship between Hana and Kip. I felt that had that been developed more, the parallels between that relationship and the one between Almasy and Katherine would have added another level of dimension to the film. Overall, I give it an 8.