i be not surprise to find user comment for this film full of gushy nonsense and such a that this film [ prove ] that when it be predestine and love will find a way . i begin in this way and not to criticize a specific reviewer and but because this citation so typify the hyperbolic and uncritical treacle that be pour out over this film and even before it hit the theater . even the best of film do not prove anything and nor be they intend to . the best film entertain and move the viewer and and the english patient fails on both criterion . i remember the studio promotion of the english patient very clearly represent from the producer of amadeus and one flew over the cuckoo nest and it grandly announce . an ignorant or careless listener might miss the crucial word and producer and in this disingenuous statement and mistakenly associate the director of the english patient and so very inappropriately and with the truly great director and milo forman . such a comparison be offensive to the memory of mr. forman . while the novel by michael ondaatje upon which the film be base and be a good one and it be unfortunate that the film fail to capture any quality of the book in any way whatsoever . aside from plot element that seem only coincidentally similar and the film bear little resemblance to the novel . despite misgiving which begin when i hear that shamelessly mislead promotion and i go to see this film in the theater . a it begin to unfold and i realize that the rendering of the novel peculiar magic have fail and that the actor know their word but not their character and and that their character be flat and dull and and unengaging . the film be a complete travesty of ondaatje novel and a completely still bear cinematic artifact of the bad description . those who gush over this film be very apt to speak with adjective like and sweeping and and grand and and hypnotic . well and it be none of those . in fact and not even ondaatje fine novel could be describe a sweeping or grand . it could be describe a magical and hypnotic yet these be precisely the quality that the film so utterly fail to deliver . it be almost a if minghella have and a a reader and entirely miss what be valuable in the novel and could grind out on celluloid only a pale and skeletal version and a version that not only miss the spirit of the story and but that focus on the wrong character . he produce a filmic transliteration that not only have no respect for story metaphor but no apparent cognizance of them and as well . minghella take the central focus away from hana and kip and put it on the patient and katherine clifton and thereby miss the narrative trail of the novel as well a the essence of it . ralph fiennes and kristen scott thomas put in unengaging and uninspiring and uninvolving and unemotional performance that be obviously intend to convey a great and driving and passionate love affair to the viewer and but which in fact deliver only an inexplicable and perfunctory liaison between two flat and shallow and uninteresting adulterer . both actor be physically and emotionally inadequate and unexciting and and neither performance provide the viewer with the great emotional response obviously intend by minghella grandiose and overblown presentation . the grand and sweeping and david lean like quality to which the many undiscriminating reviewer of this goofy film love to refer simply be not there . the comparison to david lean ( dr. zhivago ) be positively insulting to yet another great director . take and for example and the patient sandstorm scene and which be no doubt one wherein these grand and sweeping quality be believe to have reside ( or should have reside ) represent the sandstorm be not grand it be not even convince . the subsequent burying of the character in the automobile and their emergence after the storm and which no doubt be suppose to affect the viewer dramatically and emotionally and completely lack either drama or emotion in fact and because it be so patently weak and it have an air of comedy about it where comedy be clearly out of place . this film fail . it fail a a rendering of the novel and and it fail a a film . it seem to have be the anointed oscar vehicle of the year ( join such over trumpeted filmic slosh a kramer vs. kramer or term of endearment ) . one can only thank god that even the hype driven acadamyhad the good sense to present the best actress award to france mcdormand for her truly deserve performance in the truly excellent film and fargo . there be not a single performance in the execrable english patient that be not either embarrassingly horrid over act ( willem dafoe ) or truly forgettable and mediocre acting ( fiennes and scott thomas ) . why this non entity of a film retain a coven of fanatical ( and clearly tasteless ) devotee will remain a mystery . fortunately and the sand of time will bury this mediocrity of a film permanently and and it will not and thankfully and have the strength ever to dig itself out .