Oscar and Lucinda

Director: Gillian Armstrong
(1997)

Based on Peter Carey’s novel about two dreamers drawn to each other’s intensity and passion for gambling, Gillian Armstrong’s exquisitely photographed film version will both seduce you and break your heart all at the same time. To prove his love for Cate Blanchett in the grandest way possible, Ralph Fiennes impulsively bets her that he can transport a magnificent church made entirely of glass to where he believes his rival for her heart is staying. Cate Blanchett is strong willed, fiery and simply sublime as the headstrong businesswoman, playing the role usually given to the men in love stories and Fiennes is unforgettable in his change-of-pace portrayal as the vulnerable man of God who hopes to win her heart by sacrificing everything in the process. Very romantic, sad and touching— it’s a daring film and one of Armstrong’s cinematic treasures.