Jul 29, 2014
An Italian officer occupies a Greek home during WWII and falls for the daughter of a local doctor.
This film adaptation of a decent novel includes only what is mediocre about the book and leaves out everything that is good. The most glaring issue occurs at the end, which I won't give away, but I will say that the best line of the book "You owe me a life" isn't included.
Nicolas Cage's performance is as bad as most of his other performances, but with an inconsistent accent, waffling motivations, and looking just plain stupid when he tries to be goofily charming, this might be Cage's worst. And Christian Bale, whose character is stripped of its most interesting aspects, seems lost, and when the plot makes him vanish, he goes quietly and unmemorably.
Overall, while I'm not sure if I can recommend the book, I know that I can't recommend the film.
Verified