REVIEW: THE ENGLISH PATIENT (1996)
by Chris Webb copyright 1997
Cast: Ralph Fiennes (Count Laszlo Almasy), Kristin Scott Thomas (Katherine Clifton), Juliette Binoche (Hana), Naveen Andrews (Kip), Willem Dafoe (Caravaggio). Directed and written by Anthony Minghella Based on the novel by Michael Ondaatje
There is a ten minute intermission in "The English Patient" that if you are not careful, you might sleep through. I saw this movie in the theaters in January, and about midway through, I had to take a break from Anthony Minghella's successful tribute to Oscar snobbery. "The English Patient" is a mediocre movie at best, with a broken plot, uninspired acting, and an adaptation that would make Shakespeare cringe.
I did not enjoy "The English Patient," and I find it hard to believe that most critics were so swept away by this transparent over-the-top movie. This film follows the story of Count Laszlo Almasy (Fiennes) after some sort of debilitating accident which rendered him skinless and near death. It is an as-told-to account to nurse Hana (Binoche) who is so enthralled by him that she whisks him away to an abandoned mansion, deserting her army effortlessly.
This was supposed to be a love story, but between whom? In Hana, we see a compassion for Almasy, but there exists no spark there. We hear of Almasy's lusty affair with Katherine Clifton (Scott Thomas), but there is not much love portrayed on the screen. But then there is the romance between Hana and Indian bomb-defuser Kip (Andrews). However, after sorting out the which-is-which and who-is-who, we are left with a trifling unromantic tale of deceit and treachory that should not be endearing as many think it is. There is no prominent love story here.
Ralph Fiennes has thrived on portraying dispassionate men in "Quiz Show" and "Schindler's List," but in "The English Patient" he takes his lack of passion to a height where it seems as though he could care less about the script. He speaks more like a book-on-tape, and being in bed shrowded in makeup does not a good actor make. By the time you see his most poignant scene, where he screams in anguish before being a traitor to his country, his performance has already desended into monotony. The character is arrogant, and Minghella tries to show us this, but embarrassingly mimics Shakespearean rhetoric failingly instead.
Scott Thomas is more of a mantlepiece who goes with the flow and does little to show that she can act. Her range rises a bit above the flatline throughout. As she lays dying, she sounds the same as when she is at what is supposed to be her most passionate. Binoche won best supporting actress for her part, and she was the most transparent of all. Play a game while watching, and call it, "Can you tell she's about to cry?" It was not a great part for this talented actress, but she reaped rewards nonetheless. If we are going to find a great performance, we look to Naveen Andrews, who portrays the quiet anxiety which someone with his job might have. He is understated and powerful at the same time, saving "The English Patient" from complete failure.
Willem Dafoe's character does not belong, and it is unclear as to why he is there, except that he's mad that some of his fingers are missing. At this point, who really cares anyway?
I wanted to like "The English Patient," but I know many who did. Personally, I think that this movie was a waste of time and that if one truly looks for grand scale romantic drama, "Casablanca" is the way to go.
My grade: D-
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