More wit than wisdom? More style than substance? Both these charges have been levelled at The Madness of King George, but neither are entirely fair. It could be that the notional subject matter--the psychological collapse of George III, later attributed to the neurological disease porphyria--implies a profound, analytical approach of the kind associated with Oliver Sachs. However, as the ...
Winner of nine Academy Awards and almost every critic's heart, The English Patient (based on Michael Ondaatje's prizewinning novel of love and loss during World War II) is one of the most acclaimed films of modern times. Hana, a nurse (Juliette Binoche), tends to an archaeologist (Ralph Fiennes) who has been burnt to a crisp in a plane crash. As their relationship intensifies, he flashes ...
In George Orwell's semi-autobiographical novel, to "keep the aspidistra flying" meant something on a social as well as a personal scale. This film adaptation pares material down into a more concise chapter in the struggle for artistry as experienced by Gordon Comstock (Richard E Grant). At New Albion Publicity he's the best copywriter they've ever had, and long-suffering girlfriend Rosemary ...