MovieChat Forums > The English Patient (1996) Discussion > Am I the only one who liked this better ...

Am I the only one who liked this better than Fargo?

posted 14 years ago by arilicious234
44 replies | jump to latest

I saw Fargo, and I was never particularly like "OMG THIS IS SO AMAZING THIS SHOULD WIN EVERY AWARD" but it was entertaining and fun to watch. The best part was their Minnesota/North Dakota accents. The story was funny, quirky and original but it just wasn't my favourite. However, when I saw this I was just blown away, I don't understand why people say it's boring and slow or too long. I think it was worth every minute, and sure it may have been almost 3 hours long, but who cares? If it had been any shorter it wouldn't have been the same.

Hi. I'm a 17-year-old female, so don't call me an idiot.

[–] rrb 14 years ago

You're absolutely not alone in your preference for TEP. It's a ravishing film and deserved all the awards it garnered.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] alveari2005 13 years ago

You should definitely see more films then.

[–] hadialam 11 years ago

Agreed my friend.

Both movies are around a 7/10 for me. But I do slightly favour The English Patient over Fargo. I do however appreciate Fargo very much. I can see the superior used of certain cinematic techniques but it does fail to connect with me on an emotional level. TEP however does pull my heartstrings ever so slightly.

I am an 18 year old male from Australia. So that my opinion for you all

[–] jeffreyhsykes 14 years ago

Ha. No you are def. not the only one. I am 40yo male. I saw this in the theater on a Tuesday afternoon and it was a life-changing experience. One has to appreciate history and literature, in addition to film, in order to get this movie. This movie is a timeless story and the beauty of the sets, costumes and cinematography just amplify the incredible story. I've argued with people for 15 years about this movie. It's just not accessible in full to most Americans.

Add in Rafe, Dafoe and Juliette and this movie was heaven for me.

[–] Prismark10 14 years ago

I did not think Fargo was that great neither.

Its that man again!!

[–] MaximusXXX 14 years ago

You're not alone.

I liked Fargo, it was essentially a toss-up for best picture. Fargo was more gritty.

I don't get how anyone can say Fargo was robbed.

Those foolish enough to move from canada to america increase the average I.Q. of both countries

[–] birdeyes304 11 years ago

My opinion of Fargo was that it was a bit "campy". The English patient had it all, the music, scenery, plot, and you never knew what was going to happen next even though you were given enough info. to keep watching. Being a retired critical care nurse I could so relate how she felt when she gave him the morphine at the end of the movie.

[–] rabaku 14 years ago

No, I agree with you. The English Patient is simply amazing

[–] bearbloke 14 years ago

What makes you think being a 17yo girl should exempt you from being called an idiot? Bearing such insults is part of using Internet chat-forums...

[–] sandifay62 13 years ago

I loved Fargo and liked the English Patient. But every movie that's ever won an Oscar has been heavily debated and defended. If Fargo won there'd be just as many outraged people.

[–] Bravesfan17 13 years ago

I'm a 22-year-old guy, and I thought The English Patient was a better film and deserved every Oscar it won.

"Boys, please. Not every Spanish person eats tacos and burritos. That's a stereotype!"

[–] kickinajessiep 13 years ago

I think the biggest problem for me is that movie was written for awards. It's why I don't like A Beautiful Mind, Shakespeare in Love and Million Dollar Baby. I can picture the writers sitting there thinking, "How can we pull at every emotion and heart string to get as many awards as possible?" Great movies don't play it safe and cater to the whims of a voting board. That's honestly why I was surprised No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood got as many nominations as they did.

3========D

[–] rrb 13 years ago

"I think the biggest problem for me is that movie was written for awards."

LOL!!! Where do you get your information? One can only laugh as such ignorant comments. You apparently don't know TEP was adapted from a novel--unless you think the novel was written to be adapted "for awards". As for SIL, Stoppard is one of the greatest living English playwrights. Have you read his work? Do you really believe he writes "for awards"?

[–] kickinajessiep 13 years ago

Yea, adapted in the cheesiest, most emotional way possible. And I don't care. Shakespeare in Love rings of written for awards. Just because he wrote Brazil doesn't mean he's not above selling himself out with SIL. SIL and this film are both for people who have a faux elitist, out-of-touch view on quality cinema, and think this NPR viewer friendly, PBS Masterpiece Theatre celluloid garbage is haute, arthouse cinema. It's not. And there are good reasons why both of these films are consistently ranked as some of the worst best picture selections ever.

3========D

[–] craigbhill 10 years ago

Every big=budgeted film is made for profit. Awards happen if the production value is excellent. You put the horse behind the cart. I agree with you re PBS programs, the drama is pretentious. Upstairs Downstairs was much better than Downton Abbey, which just puts on airs and is written like a soap opera with cliffhangers.

Tho NO ONE except children rate the quality, great, involving, intelligent movies you noted rank these film among the worst ever. Those critics are ranked among the worst ever. All their taste is in their mouth.

~ Native Angeleno

[–] DoctorShemp 13 years ago

That's honestly why I was surprised No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood got as many nominations as they did.

IMO they were totally trying for awards when they made There Will Be Blood

[–] bUhhhh8 13 years ago

On my list of favorite movies, The English Patient is #15 and Fargo is #729 ! I think these two movies should not even be compared. It would be an insult to The English Patient to be compared with such $#/7 movie like Fargo...

[–] Elder_Yautija 13 years ago

Ihih, this whole thread's hilarious.

Fargo's 1000 times better than TEP, and TEP is a really good film... if you like cheesy stories where you know exactly what's going to happen with every coming scene (read the comment posted by someone above who mentioned "movies written for awards". That nails TEP's true nature). And I do like those movies, sometimes.

Of all the cheesy movies I've watched through the years, TEP was one of those which I enjoyed the most. Fargo is simply a better movie on basically every level imaginable, it's not Minghella's or Fiennes' fault. They're both great, and so was everyone else involved in that movie. The Coen Bros. are just superior, that's all.

I have only one problem with TEP: as mentioned above, I could easily predict everything that was going to happen next in every single scene, and that's because the movie's story is one big clichè, as the way it was handled by those who adapted it for the screen (especially that!); even back when it was released it was really predictable, a nearly-three-hour-long exercise in the long perfected art of tingling every known soft spot in the viewer's soul. I would expect a movie like TEP to be nominated every single year for Best Picture, it'd be the easiest guess, people would just want it so and the commitee knows what people want by now; but I'd never give it the award. It's too easy to just write and film what people wanna hear and see about. Any freaking c@nt can do it. Real talent lies somewhere else.

[–] rnmboon 13 years ago

You sound VERY bitter. You do know that movies are not football clubs do you? :)

I love TEP but I also like Fargo. IMHO TEP has aged quite a bit better than Fargo though. When I watch Fargo these days it feels like a very typical indie affair with few redeeming qualities except for the comedic parts of it. The Coen's have made other movies that are a lot better. Fargo is still fun though.

[–] LEMONPIE_30 13 years ago

Totally agree!