"...because the heart is an organ of fire..."      

THE ENGLISH PATIENT (R) 

Nominated for twelve Academy Awards in 1996, winner of nine for: Best Picture, Director (Anthony Minghella), Supporting Actress (Juliette Binoche), Art Direction, Cinematography, Original Dramatic Score (Gabriel Yared), Costume, Film Editing, and Sound.

As much critical acclaim as it has already received (and will probably continue to receive), it's hard to go into The English Patient without a certain level of expectation already built up. "Extravagantly romantic", "poetic and evocative", "the best film of the year" are all things that have been said about this over 2 1/2 hour long epic romance, and it's easy to fall into the trap of going into this film already convinced that it's great (even before you see it), or alternatively feeling that it's socially unacceptable to say you didn't like the movie.

Did The English Patient live up to this movie fan's expectations?  Ummm...yes.  Go see it.  End of review.

Alright, alright.  The English Patient stars Ralph Fiennes as a horribly burned man (Laszlo de Almasy) under the care of a young nurse (Hana) played by Juliette Binoche.  The settings alternate between desert Africa in World War II and an abandoned monastery (during the same period) where Laszlo and Hana take temporary residence as he recuperates.  Laszlo is a true mystery man--with an unrecognizable face and no memory of his past--and it is the re-discovery of this man's life and his story that is at the heart of this film.  Along the way, we are introduced to a number of intriguing characters, among them Katharine Clifton (Kristin Scott Thomas) and a man named Caravaggio (Willem Defoe), people who impact and are impacted by Laszlo's life.

The English Patient is not a flashy film with flashy characters, and it tells itself in a slow, deliberate, almost leisurely fashion that may not appeal to the high-speed, THX-ready shoot-em-up crowd. However, The English Patient also carries a quiet, confidently dignified presence that's hard to ignore.  This is a film with a compelling story, and those who are willing to sit, relax, and absorb the tale as it unfolds will be well-rewarded.  As for all the critical acclaim this film has received, I personally think it's a bit much, but the film's well worth recommending nevertheless. Congratulations to Ralph Fiennes on a great performance--acting under all that makeup can't be easy.

Responses from cyberspace - thanks for writing, folks!

jf.covel@jfc.fr gives this movie  stars: "I liked the film because of its whole ambiance, the story is well done and such movies are not too common these days. Of course, my first reason for loving the movie is starring Kristin Scott Thomas who is so nice and attracting woman! " (12/4/00)

KstPatient@angelfire.com gives this movie  stars: "the english patient rules!!! and so does kristin scott thomas!!" (2/22/99)

azliza@pl.jaring.my gives this movie  stars: "It is a great movie...it tell not only about love,romance,sufferings..also about the reality of human...there are so many 'finer things' one can appreciate from this movie......go watch and you'll know why they won the best film!!!" (3/31/97)

eng60967@leonis.nus.sg gives this movie  stars: "I think that five stars will be a littles less because i think that the movie is worth more than that. 3 stars should go to Kristin Scott Thomas for her stunning and marvellous performance in this movie. I can't resist her at all. She presented a Oscar winning performance and i hope that she will win this year despite that she is an English. One thing to note that i am not very happy about the show is that it is a bit draggy and blur when Caraviggo (right?), the thief, starts to appear and it makes some confusion among us who watched because we can't get the idea of the show. We got stuck with the love story and the war and we didn't know exactly who is the spy and who is not. Anway, i like Kristin a lot and seeing her is more than enough. Binoche performed well too and so did Ralph Fiennes and so each of them deserves a star. Of course the five stars i mentioned go to the actors. The movies itself deserves 12 stars for all its 12 Oscar nominations !!! So go and catch it, guys ! It is one of the best shows since "Trainspotting" this year. You will not regret, believe me !!!!!" (3/5/97)

bruce1net@qnet.com gives this movie  stars: "The best film I have seen in a very long while!" (2/7/97)

brandy@kamikaze.org gives this movie  stars: "Not enough good publicity shots released of Ralph Fiennes. A younger femme fatale would have been more believable to me."  (1/14/97)