The English Patient
1996
****½
Director: Anthony Minghella
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Naveen Andrews, Colin Firth
In the end of WW2 a badly burned man tries to recollect his past to a French-Canadian nurse. He was a mapmaker who had to make terrible sacrifices for his love towards a married woman. This sweeping romantic drama is based on Michael Ondaatje's novel. The slowly unraveling story, the dazzling visuals and the excellent performances result in a very impressive film. I'm not completely won over by the love story, though. A winner of nine Academy Awards, which include Best Film, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress (Binoche).
