Amph Most Overrated Best Pictures Winners: "The English Patient"

Merlin: There's one major reason why EP and a whole slew of films/stories don't work for me: almost all lack of morality. The drama struck me as amazingly forced in most cases in EP, especially. About the only two bits that did ring true for me were when Ralph was carrying Katherine's (I think) body and grieving and his death 'Read Me To Sleep.'

Also, a major reason why EP grates on me is because I don't like how Ralph Fiennes often comes across in his work or in interviews. Which is why I don't watch his films anymore. HP presentation of Volty was simply *flat*. The only film I can honestly say he made an *effective and powerful* impression on me in character was Schindler's List. He's terrifying.

As far as widely good reception goes--via viewers and awards--quite simply most people have vastly different views and expectations of something that play into what makes it 'quality' or not than me.

 

Okay, thanks for the explanation. Sorry I got so defensive!

I find Fiennes a very understated and nuanced actor. His work in EP and The Constant Gardener I find especially moving. I think his Voldemort fairly seethes with evil and power-hunger. But to each his own!

Incidentally, what do you find "immoral" about EP?

 

Merlin: It's okay. Well, I find immoral in EP what I find immoral in almost anything in which it happens: fornication and murder.

Now that you brought up Constant Gardener, I did see Ralph in that (even bought it and his The White Countess from Amazon) but no longer have them...these are the only Ralph films that I feel truly *work* as presented where I don't totally not like his char and yes, Constant Gardener has both elements I mentioned above as despising, I know. I don't *avoid* all such stories/films but I've found that murder and fornication/affairs are almost always handled in an blatantly *offhanded* manner that often completely *ignores* the *damaging* and *crippling* effects such events actually have on people. That just is so hollow to me. Constant Gardener didn't do that. I don't like the topics but at least it was handled in a manner where I could see that Ralph's char *felt* and *dealt* with the consequences and I felt for him.

 

Oh, I agree completely. As a brief aside, I liked the movie so much that I went through the trouble of importing the blu-ray from the UK, which is the only way to get the theatrical version of the movie on blu-ray (the one released in the U.S. has a longer cut).

I think I've seen the director's cut but prefer the theatrical release because I just like to relive the experience that I had enjoying that in the theaters.

Now, I have to confess that in regards to EP, I may have to revisit it at some point. All I know is I didn't care much for anything in the movie when I first watched it, but I honestly have no idea if I would react the same way if I were to see it again, or maybe I would appreciate it more now that I'm older.

(Having said that, my initial impression of a movie hardly ever changes over the years).