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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:114

Fresh:33

Rotten:81

Average Rating:4.4/10

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 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
splat

Nicolas Cage and Penélope Cruz are ill-matched, and the range of heavy accents is distracting.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 19 2008 07:05 AM

Channel 4 Film

splat

Geoff Andrew

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 09 2006 03:17 AM

Time Out

tomato
3/5

Matthew Turner

Gorgeous to look at and well-played, it's definitely watchable, yet strangely uninvolving.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 30 2002 08:29 AM

ViewLondon

tomato
4.5/5

Rich Cline

Obviously, the novel's sprawling, multi-strand structure has been streamlined here, but Madden and screenwriter Slovo have included so much subtext that it's still a remarkably complex film.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 10 2001 06:35 PM

Shadows on the Wall

tomato
3/5

Angie Errigo

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: | comment Comment | Aug., 14 2001 11:54 AM

Empire Magazine

splat

Peter Bradshaw

What a droopy, disappointing film this is.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 10 2001 09:32 AM

Guardian [UK]

splat
2.5/4

Ian Waldron-Mantgani

I would love to know what kind of emotions were running through those who took part in the Cephalonia romances, and this movie doesn't help me much.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 23 2001 04:31 PM

UK Critic

tomato
4/5

George Perry

In its own right the film works superbly.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 16 2001 12:13 PM

BBC

N/R

Gary Brown

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 18 2008 07:33 AM

Houston Community Newspapers

splat

Derek Elley

Strikes too many false notes on the dramatic side to add up to a satisfying emotional experience.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 07 2008 03:16 AM

Variety

splat
1.5/5

Michael Dequina

One of the year's most embarrassing big-budget miscalculations.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 06 2005 08:09 PM

Film Threat

N/R

Clark Bender

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 25 2004 04:35 AM

Zap2it.com

splat
2.5/4

Jim Shelby

A romance as spectacular as this novel is, it still has a difficult job making the leap to the screen.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 20 2003 05:16 PM

Palo Alto Weekly

tomato
5/5

John R. McEwen

...Touching and at the same time brutal, brimming with the emotional conflict that surges within its characters.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 08 2003 08:30 AM

Film Quips Online

splat
1/4

Margaret A. McGurk

A lot of talent was squandered on this incoherent grab bag of war-movie moments.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 15 2002 08:25 AM

Cincinnati Enquirer

splat
2/5

Mark Halverson

A historical drama that simply fails to make convincing human connections.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 10 2002 08:25 AM

Sacramento News & Review

splat
2/4

Kevin N. Laforest

Here's a film with all the right ingredients which somehow manages to taste bland as a hell.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 10 2002 08:25 AM

Montreal Film Journal

tomato

Betty Jo Tucker

The stunning look of this film took my breath away and overcame its shortcomings for me.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 02 2002 08:24 AM

ReelTalk Movie Reviews

splat

Paul Salfen

Yet another WWII love triangle that suffers from bad acting, but looks great!

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 09 2002 05:16 PM

Supercala.com

splat

Sean Burns

...feels as if it has been manufactured in a chop shop of former Oscar winners and nauseating Miramax 'prestige' puff pieces.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 21 2002 02:02 AM

Philadelphia Weekly

 
 
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More...

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