Rating: 
Summary: The end-product of humanism.
Review: 'There is no God', the so called hero of this film announces mid way through the movie. This one line sums up the world-view of the entire film. A 'war' film?, I think not. This film is a vehicle to promote the ideals of man-over-morals. But even this film has to acknowledge the destructiveness of that lifestyle, if it didn't then none of it would have been believable.
The unlikable, so called hero, of this film destroys the lives of everyone around him because he lusts for a married woman, and she obliges him. They are two self-indulgent, self-pitying people who happen to find each other and do exactly as they please no matter who it hurts. This is not a love story, he himself makes it clear to her that she should not get too attached to him, enforcing the fact that to him it is all about sex. The pathetic part is that the viewer is supposed to like them and cheer them on? The only likeable character in this movie is the husband and he dies trying to kill the hero, I only regret he failed, the movie could have ended on a high note right there.
As for anti-everything-that-is-good, the only scenes with Americans is when they almost cause a sub-hero to be blown to bits. We are supposed to be angry as they callously drive their tanks too close to him while he disarms a bomb, and the whole time they are cheering and celebrating the liberation of Italy, how dare they! The British are not spared either as their treatment of the (German by the way) hero is shown as nearly racist. (Maybe the script writer never saw what Hitler did to London).
In the end we are supposed to believe this is true love, after over 2 hours of muddling through an adulterous affair looking for a plot. We finally end up getting a lesson in mercy-killing, only the viewer wishes it were he who gets the morphine at this point.
The moral? How about...have some. Trust in God, not yourself, maybe then you will be happy in whatever state you find yourself instead of always going after the forbidden fruit. That way you don't die a painful, protracted death (literally or figuratively) and taking everyone around you with you. If that were the point of this movie then great, unfortunately we are supposed to embrace these people and their actions...pathetic.
Rating:
Summary: 9 Academy Awards inc. best picture! You've got to be joking!
Review: I will never see why this garbage is so highly rated. It was a total disappointment as far as I am concerned. It is just another film glorifying adultery. What a superb model for society to follow. The story was long, boring and did not get anywhere. I was thoroughly miserable watching this long, drawn-out indulgence on the part of some director or other. When people make a movie with a definite historical setting, they should aim to be true to the social attitudes and actions of the day - read my review of "Titanic" to see more about what I mean. I don't believe for one moment that the Sikh soldier and the Canadian women would have fallen so easily into a relationship in that era. It may be "beautiful" to some people, but you cannot impose present social conventions and attitudes on a different era and expect it to be believable. This is a sad testement to what the Academy Awards have become. Don't be fooled by the hype - you are in for a really boring film if you watch this.
Rating: 
Summary: One Scene Made This Film Unforgettable
Review: The scene that Kip takes Anna to the cathedral after they spent their first night together, and he shows her the amazing fresco paintings on the wall is wow...truly unforgettable. Excellent movie, despite the fact none of my friends liked this film.
Rating: 
Summary: beautiful
Review: The movie's nine Oscars ought to get you to watch it. If not, I'll try to convince you... So, it takes place before, during, and after World War II and it's about this guy (Ralph Fiennes) who ends up in a plane crash. He comes under the care of a nurse in the Italian Army (Juliette Binoche.) We learn bits and pieces of his life through flashbacks. So, anyway, that's the bare-bones story.Needless to say, there's a lotta romance, a dash of action, and a big ole heapin' spoonful of GORGEOUS. This movie is truly BEAUTIFUL. Every shot feels as though it was painstakingly planned out, and boy, was it worth it. It helps that the movie is shot in Italy and Tunisia and all those pretty places over there. As for the action, one thing that this movie is definitely NOT is predictable. GEEZ, I don't know how many times I thought I had a scene figured out, but it STILL managed to surprise me. There are definitely a couple edge-of-your-seaters. As for the romance... oh, it's there all right. The chemistry between Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas is amazing. The movie is downright CONFUSING at times, though. Now WHO was Italy fighting? If you know your history, I guess you could get by, but I got lost a few times. One could argue the fact that since the past comes in flashbacks, it's understandable that it's confusing to the onlooker, but... whatever. Oh, and about those flashbacks. One thing that is great is that the transition from past to present is never cheesy. It always makes sense, which is a hard thing to do. Sometimes it gets hard to empathize with the characters because they all (the ones in the flashbacks, mind you) can get a little overbearing, what with their near-arrogance and selfishness, but, in the end, a beautiful story is told.
Rating:
Summary: Dichotomy of Opinion
Review: I am always amazed at the dichotomy of opinion about this movie. Either people love it and think that it is a classic or they hate it. I have often judged women early on in a relationship by whether or not they liked it. This movie is not for everybody. It is long and takes some patience. Those who are patient will be richly rewarded. The love story is adulterous but it is beautifully portrayed. The music is wonderful. After reading the novel I wished that the love story between Hanna and Kip was better delineated but you can't have everything and I think that you do get almost everything here.
Rating:
Summary: Save 2 1/2 hours of your life....
Review: DON'T BOTHER! I have never in my life been so enraged that a movie wasted precious hours I could've spent doing something else. Characters I didn't care about were thrown into situations I found too convuluted or dull to understand, and, oh yeah...the movie just doesn't cut it. Who and what they had to pay for that best picture Oscar will never be fully known, but whoever it is I am sure is living nicely somewhere tropical and NOT watching this bore of a movie! Trust me, your money is better spent on something else!
Rating:
Summary: An Affair in the Desert
Review: Well, so much for the days of "if you can't say anything nice....". I don't mind people disagreeing with me, (as one reviewer wisely said, "Your review reveals a lot about your tastes") but when one needs to lambaste a film that is, by all accounts, well produced, I simply must Re-act. Trying to compare this film (or any other film for that matter) to others is like trying to compare animal species. Some may look similar but they ARE vastly different. This movie on its own should be commended for its lush cinematography, brilliant actors, sweeping muscial score and fine war-era costumes. Since this film was publicly unpopular, it of course won 9 Academy Awards, just like in years past. I believe the Academy got it Right. To those who (or know how to) care, give this near 3 hour movie a try. True, the main love story is adulterous,(I enjoyed far more the story of Hana and Kip), but the entire cast, including the desert, kept me involved. Lastly, I have yet to read the novel, since being a former drama student, you learn that different mediums require different approaches, so to compare book and film, for me, is without merit. The English Patient, the movie, however, is worth while and worth seeing.
Rating:
Summary: Blew Their Second Chance
Review: Another lost sale. I simply don't understand why this film is being re-released without a Director's Commentary. Anthony Minghella had the time and inclination to annotate Truly Madly Deeply. So much for the notion that Miramax is more interested in quality than more mainstream studios.
Rating:
Summary: Rubbish
Review: Pure rubbish and a complete load of old tripe. Do not bother with this film as it's mind-numbingly dull, complacent, self-satisfied, smug and self-indulgent. It beggers belief that it received Academy Awards but if you like David Lean without the skill of direction or political acuity than you just may like it. Otherwise, leave it alone and let it die in peace.
Rating: 
Summary: Not half as good as Casablanca
Review: I expected to love The English Patient for many of the same reasons that people love Casablanca--WWII romance, exotic setting, memorable characters.... but I was badly disappointed. The central relationship between Fiennes and Scott-Thomas (who is, in my view, just another name in the long list of anorexic actresses that Hollywood uses, then loses)is flat and uninteresting, so my overall reaction is: who gives a hoot about these two? As another reviewer pointed out, it's more lust than love, but as the film moves toward its denouement, you're suddenly supposed to believe that he cares so much about her that he'll risk his life to save her. It's just not believable. It all adds up to an overly self-conscious (albeit pretty) film that can't hold a candle to the stirring love story that unfolds in Rick's Cafe Americain.
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