Gorgeous film about not-so gorgeous people-based somewhat on a REAL person.

Rating: 8/10 (25 April 2002)

First of all, Colin Firth's character's name is Geoffrey, NOT RALPH.
I am probably the only person in the world who cried when his character died. I didn't give a fig about his adulterous wife or her lover, the reptilian-cold Count! If you KNEW what the REAL man was like you would wonder at Catherine's choice.
Geoffrey was a brave man, traveling under false colors. He was a true patriot. Catherine alludes to her husband's true occupation several times. "He's not the fool he pretends to be..." and "Oh Geoffrey, how you do so love disguises..."
Anyway, he was the character most harmed by this torrid affair, besides all the people who were killed as a direct result of that affair.
I loved the secondary characters, Hannah and Kip, however. They were genuine and passionate and marvelous. Binoche and Andrews were wonderful together.
The music and the cinematography are what really make this film stand out...at least for me. I realize this is a minority view, but there it is.