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Movies / On DVD / Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Captain Corelli's Mandolin

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Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)

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Reviews Counted:11

Fresh:4

Rotten:7

Average Rating:4.5/10

Consensus: The cinematography is gorgeous, but the movie plays it fast and loose with history and the novel it was adapted from. Mostly, the movie fails because the romance between the leads strains credulity and the story is largely uninvolving.

Runtime: 2 hrs 9 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Academy Award (R) winner Nicolas Cage (City of Angels) and Penelope Cruz (All About My Mother) star in Captain Corelli's Mandolin, an epic tale about the enduring hope of love and the devastating... Academy Award (R) winner Nicolas Cage (City of Angels) and Penelope Cruz (All About My Mother) star in Captain Corelli's Mandolin, an epic tale about the enduring hope of love and the devastating brutality of war, set amid the Italian occupation of Greece during World War II.

The idyllic beauty of Greece's Mediterranean coast has been invaded by Italy, bringing legions of soldiers to the once tranquil island of Cephallonia. Captain Antonio Corelli (Cage), an officer with an irrepressibly jovial personality and passion for the mandolin, initially alienates a number of the villagers, including Pelagia (Cruz). The daughter of the village doctor, Pelagia is an educated and strong-willed woman, and while at first offended by the Italian soldier's behavior, she slowly warms to his certain charms as they are forced to share her father's home.

When Pelagia's fiancee, a local fisherman, heads off to war, the friendship between Antonio and Pelagia grows even stronger. Her beauty and intelligence have captured his heart, and his fondness for the village's vibrant community causes him to question his reasons for fighting. Antonio becomes a part of the lives of the villagers, but the moment is fleeting. As the war grows ever closer, Antonio and Pelagia are forced to choose between their allegiance to their countries and the love they feel for one another-a love which must overcome tremendous odds, and endure the inevitable sacrifice which accompanies eternal devotion. -- © 2001 Universal Pictures [More]

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Penélope Cruz, Christian Bale, John Hurt

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Penélope Cruz, Christian Bale, John Hurt, David Morrissey, Irene Pappas

Director: John Madden

Director: John Madden
Screenwriter: Shawn Slovo
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Kevin Loader, Mark Huffam
Composer: Stephen Warbeck
Studio: Universal Pictures

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Reviews for Captain Corelli's Mandolin

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1 - 11 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Nicolas Cage and Penélope Cruz are ill-matched, and the range of heavy accents is distracting.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
09/19/08
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film's perfectly watchable, but it's never more than that.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
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Fans will argue it's not as good as the book, but John Madden has delivered a pretty mooch around rustic, tranquil Cephallonia.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
08/14/01
Angie Errigo
Angie Errigo
Empire Magazine
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What a droopy, disappointing film this is.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
08/10/01
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
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In its own right the film works superbly.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
04/16/01
George Perry
George Perry
BBC
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Strikes too many false notes on the dramatic side to add up to a satisfying emotional experience.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
08/07/08
Derek Elley
Derek Elley
Variety
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Based on an actual Greek tragedy of epic proportions, which inspired a novel by Louis de Bernieres, Captain Corelli's Mandolin has finally been adapted to the big screen, with largely positive results.

Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment Comment
08/17/01
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
CNN.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A phlegmatic, middlebrow romantic drama so stodgy that even the goats look bored.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
08/17/01
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
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What we get is kind of a condensed version of some of the sights and sounds of the novel, without the heart, the spirit and the juicy detail.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
08/17/01
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

As the movie methodically plods forward on a screenplay (by Shawn Slovo) consisting entirely of clichés and watered-down exposition, it becomes sadly apparent that its only reliable asset is the gorgeous view.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
08/16/01
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
New York Times
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Comes engagingly close to being the assured romantic epic you would want it to be.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
05/04/01
Mark Adams
Mark Adams
Hollywood Reporter
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1 - 11 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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