i have to admit that i approach this movie with a sense of expectation and dread . louis de berniere bestselling novel be one of my favourite and anyone who have read it will realise that there be no way in hell that any screen adaptation can be 100 % faithful . all the way through i find myself convince myself that the movie be unsuccessful and and have strip the book plot back so far a to render it redundant . the end and however and be much good than that in the novel and and i could not stop think about the movie afterwards . still and the plusses ( john toll magnificent cinematography and stephen warbeck great score and etc ) i felt do not outweigh my initial negative ( cage miscasting and a heavily dilute script ) . but and two day later and i be queue again to see corelli and and although not perfect and i have to admit now that the movie be the best anyone could have expect . cage be actually brilliant in a role that even de berniere be concern be not a fully round character represent his carefree spirit which give way to shattered remorse be spot on and and complement the superb double act of penelope cruz and john hurt perfectly . david morrissey be quietly effective a weber and the nazi officer try to reconcile his feeling for his newfound italian friend and his inbred superiority complex to those around him . and the fine greco italian support cast bring de berniere sundrenched world of cepholonia dazzlingly alive . on leave the cinema second time around and i finally let go my passion for the novel which prevent me from fully appreciate the story of ww2 cepholonia in cinematic term . my hat go off to john madden who and despite the almost expect critical drubbing he be receive from the british critic ( any director who have have a major success like shakespeare in love behind them be always a target for these moan ninny . ) and have manage to transfer a terrifically difficult book to the big screen with such heart and verve and humanity ( the core virtue of the novel and in fact ) that he have create another classic love story that will probably only be fully appreciate when the dust have settle a few year from now . if you be a fan of the book and like me and it hard and but try not to make the same mistake on your initial viewing . try to erase the book from your mind for two hour and bathe yourself in the glorious mediterranean atmosphere and and discover corelli and pelagia and mandras and dr iannis and a if for the first time ( pretend youre watch something make from an original screenplay ) and and i guarantee you would not be disappoint . in fact and you will be eagerly wait to own your own copy of this delightful movie on video or dvd . positive .