Rating: 
Summary: Great Scenery and Nothing More
Review: Somewhat of a mixed bag, this lush but lopsided film adaptation of Louis de Bernieres' 1994 wartime novel is best observed for its breathtaking views of Cephalonia (I'd fly there tomorrow if I could). That plus Christian Bale's convincing portrayal of a jilted Greek fisherman (his Greek accent is perfect) make this overlong film somwwhat bearable.
On the downside, you get Penelope Crus completely miscast and wooden as a dewey-eyed Greek woman who falls in love with an Italian soldier played by Nicolas Cage. O.K., Cage tries to redeem himself. But his Italian accent is as phoney as the screenplay. In short, laughs comes in all the wrong places, especially when Cruz and Cage try to act sexy. UGH!
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie
Review: This is a very good movie, especially if you are in the mood for something different. IT definately seems more like a foreign film, you almost feel like you should be reading it in subscripts.
Rating: 
Summary: Sublimated thrash, even worse than the book ...
Review: ... even though it would have seemed impossible.
Hollywood is not known for respecting books, much less historical truth, in its production (in almost all of it) and has now made a movie out of a book the main merit of which, besides of eliciting the romantic fantasies and gut-wrenching sobs of matrons with love frustrations (but that's their problem), was to enhance the touristy appeal of the island of Cephalonia (much to the delight of local shopkeepers and hotel owners) and the development of facilities for the tourists. To do so, the producers cast in the leading roles one of their usual dark-haired beauties of the Mediterranean type (but with a Spanish name) and the most inexpressive hunk of macho beef Hollywood can exhibit; they put him into the uniform of a captain in the Italian Army and gave him a mandolin to goof on. The relationship of the Italian occupation forces with the local population is falsely portrayed; no Italian enlisted man or NCO would be allowed, or have it spring in his mind, could, or would take his swim in the Mediterranean waters stark-naked; it is unthinkable that an Italian officer would clown around playing the instrument out of the privacy of his lodgings. The whole movie is a ridiculous, contemptuous, spiteful cliché, where the tragic background of what happened in that island receives no post-humous respect. Those thousands of men were killed by the Germans either by a pistol shot in the back of the head as soon as they came out of a hut after preliminary interrogation, or machine-gunned down, in groups, in cold blood. There still is a living survivor (at 93 years of age) of that massacre (left laying on the ground for dead, picked up by a local family, and thus saved), and he could tell what really happened if he had any time to waste on gullible idiots. The belated apologies of the movie director (undoubtly, after cashing in his fee) smack of hauteur and condescending contempt, and sound false. English-language movie-goers, you better read first (if read you can) a far better written, more objective and compassionate book as "Bandiera Bianca a Cefalonia" (White Flag in Cephalonia) by Marcello Venturi: don't be afraid of your ignorance of the original language (Italian), it was translated in 14 languages including yours, and English editions can still be found, even online, at second-hand booksellers. If you want to see a movie based on it, producers can be found, but - beware: it could be followed by other ones about the routs the Japanese gave the British forces, which outnumbered them 4-5 times, in Malay, and by another one about the thrashing they gave the Americans in Guadalcanal. Don't waste your time and money buying a ticket for this movie, or its DVD or VHS: it's thousands times worse than the book it originated from. I thought the book was thrash, I still do and I find this movie to be worthy of the sewers, without appeal. Did I just hear someone saying "Hey, this Eye-talian really is livid about it"? You bet I am, at seeing this continuing slander and disparagement of this country. The one star rating I'm giving it is only due to the fact that a "no-star" one is apparently not allowed by Amazon.
Rating:
Summary: Nic does it again
Review: Captain Corelli's Mandolin was a wonderful mix of history, action and romance. Although I thought Penelope Cruz was somewhat unconvincing in her role, Nicolas Cage once again carried the film with his wonderful portrayal of an Italian Captain. He has once again shown that he can play both the villian and the lead romantic man. This film also contained amazing cinemaphotography of beautiful landscapes backed by a stunning musical soundtrack.
Rating:
Summary: why i like CaptainCorelli's Mandolin
Review: I enjoyed this film alot it showed alot about the war and germany and how italians and germans joined together in the war as they where allies.like all films we see a love story occur but i found that there was alot of tension put in the ending as not only do we get upset like all love stories do we get sense of happiness at the end which you do not expect at first.the intresting bit about the film is the fact that it was based on a true story in a sense the love may not of been true but the accurate way the describe and show you the other side of the ww2 where Greece was involved. there was a few upsetting bits in the film ie descrimination over where you come from and why germans where not accepted in Greece over hitler. this film also describes the times then in accuracy not only does it portait truthover the war but it portraits peoples fellings at the time. i consider this film to be one to watch. well if you dont mind crying and getting invold in the filml.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful film - brings you to tears!
Review: I enjoyed CAPTAIN CORELLI'S MANDOLIN very much. I'm not much into romances, but once in a while a romance will come along that even I think is great. This film is about a young soldier named Captain Corelli (Nicolas Cage) who falls in love with a Greek beauty, Pelagia (Penelope Cruz), even though she is engaged to another soldier, Mandras (Christian Bale), who is away and leaves her lonely for affection and comfort during World War II. The allstar cast is absolutely superb! I have been a big fan of Christian Bale ever since he starred in EMPIRE OF THE SUN and I am so glad he's back on the big screen! Nicolas Cage is also great and so is Penelope Cruz. The sceenary is absolutely beautiful and breath-taking - some of the best filmming I've seen in a long time. The Greek background is spectacular! The diolague, storyline, and plot are really good, though it reminds me a little bit of TITANIC, except without the ship. The film is full of surprises. If you haven't seen CAPTAIN CORELLI'S MANDOLIN yet, then I strongly recommend it. I can't wait for it's release on DVD - and I hope it has a lot of special features! :-)
Rating: 
Summary: Unsatisfying
Review: OK, I am biased. I read Louis deBernières' book when it was fashionable among Greek Americans. I have visited Kefalonia for years - my father's family originated there. I had exacting expectations for the movie. It did not satisfy me in any way, except that the island looked great (always summer) and the broad-brush treatment of history didn't skew the facts (only obscure them).That said, Nicholas Cage should be sent to vocal training classes. His Italian "accent" was unbelievably bad, and nearly eclipsed his poor acting. The Corelli character was written as a very quirky, intellectual and decidedly unsoldierly soldier. Cage came across as a buffoon. It would be easy to mistake the inept portrayal of the Italians onscreen as real ineptness in the actual war; but this is a film review. For a novel that spans multiple characters and many years, two hours is too little to cover everything. So it's the screenwriter's job to clarify and enhance those parts of the story that will entertain and inform the viewer. I didn't get any of that, and I know more than the casual viewer in this case. Even so, the movie comes across as a tepid love story set amid war. War is presented as a harmless occupation, where people don't actually exhibit the effects of deprivation, never suffer from the cold and disease and the villages are filled with dancing and music. Oh, yes, Penelope Cruz doing a suggestive dance in front of the Italian and German soldiers (and in front of the Greek mothers and fathers in 1941) is entirely plausible... in Hollywood. Films like "Mediterraneo," "Cinema Paradiso" and "Il Postino," all showed the themes of war, romance, postwar life, etc. with more subtlety and less obvious string-tugging. "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" would have been a superb (though less commercially viable) film had it been a foreign cast and a different director.
Rating: 
Summary: Watch this movie. You will laugh, cry, and think!
Review: I enjoyed this movie so much that I saw it twice. The second time was actually even better. It is kind of slow in the beginning, but I never thought for a second this was a defect; on the contrary, its slowness contributes to recreate the tranquil atmosphere of the stupendous Greek island of Cephallonia as it was in the forties. The photography of the island was so beautiful that I was almost able to smell the olive oil and the leaves on the trees. The main characters were noble, heroic, and honest. The second time I saw the movie, I appreciated even more the figure of the Greek Mandras. His very last scene with Pelagia is a perfect image of how a man can accept a hurting future with incredible dignity and honor. I really admired the guy. I liked Corelli and the soldiers of the Opera House because their jovial character reminded me of many of my friends in Italy, gathered in huge parties driving around at night and singing while waiting for the bakery to open at four in the morning in order to get a croissant. I liked the beautiful, strong, and intelligent Pelagia and her wise and loving father Iannis. I loved the entire atmosphere of the island, which reminded me of my father's small village in Southern Italy. These Mediterranean places have one exceptional thing in common: time seems to run slower over there, letting you fully appreciate the beauty and the serenity of the community and the scenery. There is something weird about all the accents that somehow declasses the movie a little, and makes it look less sumptuous than it is. I understand that some people may feel a little puzzled by this cornucopia of Italian, Greek, German, and Spanish (Penelope Cruz) accents, even though this aspect did not bother me at all. Anyways, the main reasons that made me like the movie were the growing appreciation of the Greeks and the Italians for each other's cultures, the ability of the characters to elevate human dignity and pure sentiments over the brutality of war, and last but not least the contrast between the Latin culture of the Greeks and the Italians on one hand and the Teutonic culture of the Germans on the other. Finally, this movie made me think a lot about the very meaning of war and about the fact that you can call somebody enemy only until you actually get to know that person. That is the moment when he or she stops being an impersonal shadow and becomes part of your world, and sometimes - like in this movie - he or she can even become "your world." Inspiring.
Rating:
Summary: Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Review: I loved this movie! It showed how war affects the citizen's lives, as well as the solider's. It was a terrifif love story, and the cinematography was breathtaking! The actors were very believeable, and perfectly cast for their parts.I loved the soundtrack, and I intend to buy the soundtrack and the DVD as soon as they come out!
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece of Fine Art and Design
Review: Correlli's Mandolin is an excellent love story. It will leave your cheering and weeping all at the same time. Men and woman will enjoy this films great storyline and characters. Corelli's Mandolin is definiatly an Oscar contender.
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