Sweeping scenery and a love story to match

To celebrate the birthday of my gorgeous sister, here is my review of her favourite film.

It's an oldie but a goodie and packs an all star cast including a not so well known Colin Firth. For all the heroes he plays, he's quite the villain and visa versa for Ralph Fiennes! It's interesting how people's impression of an actor is derived from their first experience of them. Now you may see someone in many movies but they don't make an impact on you until a particular role stands out. In fact, I adore watching older movies and looking for actors in small roles who are now well known - I'm looking at you Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank! But I digress...

As such there seems to be a real divide in how people feel about Fiennes. Some really love him as a sweetheart. Others think his cold black heart should freeze in hell. It's because despite beibg around long before, filmgoers of the nineties strongest encounters with him were either The English Patient (the nice guy) or Schindler's List (the really bad guy). And a whole new generation of kids is being terrified by him as Harry Potter's He Who Must Not Be Named!

Likewise, this was the role that would move Kristin Scott Thomas from the friend in Four Weddings and a Funeral to leading lady.

Either way, stellar performances and a tight script with stunning cinematography  makes this well worth revisiting. I mean, come on, it won 9 Oscars including Best Picture!

Check out...

The English Patient

Plot: As the end is nigh for WWII, a nurse cares for a man badly burned who recounts his astonishing tale.

Cast: Ralph Fiennes (The Reader), Kristin Scott Thomas (Easy Virtue), Juliette Binoche (Chocolat), Naveen Andrews (Lost), Colin Firth (The King's Speech), Willem Dafoe (The Hunter)


Like this? See
The Power of One
Lawrence of Arabia

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