Review of The English Patient (1996) by Spangle — 05 Nov 2015
Don't let the Seinfeld episode convince you otherwise; The English Patient is nowhere near as bad as Elaine says. Instead, it is actually quite good. It is quite long, but it never becomes boring and plus, the visuals are so stunningly beautiful throughout, there is no way for you to possibly become bored anyways.
Wondrously crafted and bold in scope, The English Patient may not be truly brilliant, but director Anthony Minghella certainly did a fantastic job. However, I will say I never found this one too romantic.
People gush about how romantic it is, but it is simply about two scumbags who wind up having sex with one another. Maybe I am just jaded and have extra hatred for cheaters, but anyways. Ralph Fiennes is fantastic, as are Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Kristin Scott Thomas, Naveen Andrews, and Colin Firth.
Though I did not find the love story to be charming or romantic, the story told by Fiennes' character is still incredibly moving and full of human drama. The romantic part of the film, to me, would be aimed at the desert, which is beautifully captured at both its best and its worst.
A captivating World War II romantic drama, The English Patient is quite long and could stand to be shorter, nor it is particularly impactful, but it remains a beautiful film that does not deserve the negative impression I had going in.
This review of The English Patient (1996) was written by Spangle on 05 Nov 2015.
The English Patient has generally received very positive reviews.
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