whats with love in the deserts that ....

Rating: 9/10 (22 October 2001)

... makes it so magical & mystical & tragic??!!
let me start of by saying that i did not hold much hope for the english patient - i mean the movie had won 9 oscars - just how bad could it be?? (i dont much trust the academy when it handles out loads of oscars, the debacles of titanic & gladiator spring to mind). i expected a pompous over-blown epic with little feel. how wrong, how wrong i was!!
the english patient is one of the most beautiful movies ive seen in a long time. the story unravels beautifully in layers, admittedly it is a bit slow, but the director has built up the atmosphere wonderfully. each and every character is well etched and totally totally believable. what a pleasant surprise in todays plastic hollywood!!
the acting is simply terrific, if i had to pick one person for an oscar from the movie, i would have chosen kirsten scott thomas, who ofcourse did not win it - frances mcdromand did for fargo - touch and go ... i would have gone with kirsten.
having said that, theres nothing to be taken away from any of the magnificient actors here - ralph fiennes, juliette binoche & naveen andrews & willem dafoe are all terrific. theres enough about the story in the other reviews, so i wont go into it.
the movie is truly magnificent, splendorous and worthy of the many oscars it won, especialy considering its competition. a grand romantic epic, in the lines of casablanca - a memorable movie whose only fault is its length
a splendid 9!!