In the 1930s, Count Almásy is a Hungarian map maker employed by the Royal Geographical Society to chart the vast expanses of the Sahara Desert along with several other prominent explorers. As World War II unfolds, Almásy enters into a world of love, betrayal, and politics.
Rated 3.0 / 5 from 2 logs on Katalog
It has a lot of things I like, such as a coherent non-linear historical narrative, and a stellar cast. However, something important about it feels just a little off — character relationships. Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas are amazing actors, but they're just a little weird in this film and interpersonally seem to develop bonds with others that either aren't deserved or aren't believable, and honestly, Fiennes character came off as a little creepy. Juliette Binoche and Willem Dafoe are great as always but underdeveloped, as is the case for all of the supporting cast, which is shocking at 2h40 runtime. I will admit the dramatic moments got me a little, but that's because of what's happening in general, not because it's happening to these characters specifically. I liked the tone, pacing, and more, I just think the characters were missing some humanity.
A nurse, a sapper, a thief and a burn victim (known only as “the English patient”), are living in an abandoned villa in Italian countryside, nearing the end of WW2. Their stories unfold, and sometimes intertwine, although the focus is on one of them, and I wish it was more balanced. The structure and the narration make it pretty obvious that it’s based on a book, with some of the usual downsides that come with it. I haven’t read it, but I feel it would have been one of those “loved the book, the movie was okay” situations. The story is intriguing, I wasn’t bored, Minghella’s style is beautiful, with that tanned, sandy colour palette similar to his Talented Mr. Ripley. The melodrama was at times too much for my taste, but justified for the most part. But the main romance, which was a big part of the movie, didn’t work for me at all. And for some reason, I found all of the acting to be a bit strange, I have yet to figure out why.
