His low-budget romantic drama is set in the 1940s on the Greek island of Cephallonia, and centers around the life of the town medic, Dr. Iannis (John Hurt, Alien) His daughter, Pelagia (Penelope Cruz, Blow), is in love with a local fisherman named Mandras (Christian Bale, American Psycho), who is set to leave to fight against Mussolini's forces in Albania. But not long after he leaves, Cephallonia is invaded by the very same Italians, including the romantic, mandolin-strumming Captain Corelli (Nicolas Cage). He and his soldiers find their latest assignment to be cushy duty, and soon they and the locals are on somewhat friendly terms. Corelli meets the beautiful Pelagia, and his charm eventually wins her heart -- setting her heart up for a struggle between the man she now loves and the man she once did.

      Hollywood has produced so many war dramas, especially those of the World War II variety, that deal with the same "war is hell" theme. But thankfully, Corelli's Mandolin focuses much more on romantic elements, with the war providing the necessary plot conflict and a change of scenery once in a while. The story itself is somewhat predictable, but Louis de Bernieres's novel is likely to blame for that -- when Pelagia conveniently loses interest in Mandras right before Captain Corelli strolls into town, it doesn't exactly bring our hands to our cheeks in astonishment.

      Of course, with Madden's directing, we can still expect a sweeping romance; indeed, the film certainly suited the director, as he has shown a knack for period romances like this and Shakespeare in Love. Madden also showed his ability to juggle the various facets of these thematically rich pictures, because both Shakespeare and Corelli's Mandolin deal with the same themes of tradition and values, and here, those themes are added to the anti-war theme. Madden handled them all quite well without even showing an all-out battle scene, and his cause was aided by the cinematography of John Toll; he gave the small movie a much grander, almost epic feel with several wide-angle crane shots and ample lighting.

      Madden also reaffirmed his talent for producing solid performances from his cast. John Hurt stands out the most as the older father figure, and Penelope Cruz is easily the best choice for his beautiful daughter in the lead role. Cage is likable (as always), but his Italian accent seems a tad forced, and I wouldn't doubt that his casting was due to Miramax's desire to get a big name on the poster rather than to actually fill the role.

      Also worthy of note, and prominent among the many elements the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences will surely enjoy, is the score by Stephen Warbeck, who also composed the music for Shakespeare in Love. The music had hints of his other work, but additionally it had the beautiful theme Corelli played on his mandolin; the hand-played piece became part of the score itself and was a perfect love theme for the film.

      Like Warbeck's score, Captain Corelli's Mandolin is somewhat predictable, and that will be its main point of criticism and primary weakness at the awards ceremonies. But thanks to the talent involved, it's hard to say the film is not enjoyable, and with a low-budget romantic drama like this, sometimes that's all that's necessary.

Andy Zientek, 2001