Gorgeous, moving film

Rating: 9/10 (10 June 2000)

A friend of mine said he didn't know what the fuss was about, and I'd heard "The English Patient" was boring and undeserving of its best picture Oscar. I'm glad I saw for myself. What a beautiful, moving, intelligent movie. People who complain about being bored by it should go back to their video games, pro wrestling and MTV. This is great stuff. The locations are dazzlingly gorgeous, the story is compelling and well-told, and the performances are outstanding. And as a bonus, Kristin Scott Thomas and Juliette Binoche are astonishingly lovely. My only problem is the sometimes incomprehensible dialogue, lost in accents and whispers, and the rare clinker of a line. But all in all, it's tough to quibble about the best picture Oscar. 9 of 10 stars