This movie should not have won the Oscar for Best Picture. The fact that it did was either because it was a very bad year for movies (in which case, I don't think an award should be given for this category) or the academy, once again, voted for a bloated MEGA-picture despite it being sterile (there are MANY worse examples of this--think of The English Patient or The Last Emporer).
While I don't think it was even close to Oscar material, I also think a few reviews on this site are too harsh as well. Giving this picture a "1"? Nope. This isn't fair, as the music and photography were great. I loved the African singing and the scene of the biplane flying over the flock of flamingos in incredible.
So, the final verdict: dull and unlikeable characters, a script that reads like fiction (not the real life story), unconvincing dialog BUT a treat for the eyes and ears. So my advice is to turn off your brain and enjoy--particularly on the big screen.
While I don't think it was even close to Oscar material, I also think a few reviews on this site are too harsh as well. Giving this picture a "1"? Nope. This isn't fair, as the music and photography were great. I loved the African singing and the scene of the biplane flying over the flock of flamingos in incredible.
So, the final verdict: dull and unlikeable characters, a script that reads like fiction (not the real life story), unconvincing dialog BUT a treat for the eyes and ears. So my advice is to turn off your brain and enjoy--particularly on the big screen.