Although Ralph Fiennes is best known for his versatile acting roles, he has now taken on the challenge of also directing a movie. And as far as critics fare, his effort has been successful. The title of his conquest is CORIOLANUS, an adaptation of the Shakespeare play, set against the modern world of turmoil and protests. Originally set in pre-Imperial Rome, Coriolanus (Ralph Fiennes) is a heroic soldier who is banished from the city. Offering his life and services to his sworn enemy Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler), they march together on Rome with the intent to destroy it.
With Coriolanus hitting the cinemas tomorrow, there is no time like the present to countdown the top five Ralph Fiennes movies – each of which has walked the Academy Awards Hall of Fame.
5. HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE – THE DEATHLY HALLOWS (2005-2010)
Who can forget the chill of seeing a pale, nose-less Lord Voldemort wave his wand and utter the unforgivable curse that killed Harry’s parents?
Based on the books by J.K. Rowling, the eight-part movie phenomenon follows the life of the young wizard Harry Potter, his friends at Hogwarts, and his endless battle to defeat the most notorious dark wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort. Each film puts Harry and his friends up against new challenges and life-threatening situations, making us rethink whether wizarding is really as much fun as it sounds.
The franchise has defined a generation and brought the magical world of spells and goblins into everyday lives. As of 2011, Harry Potter also became the highest grossing film franchise of all time, overtaking the likes of STAR WARS and THE James Bond franchise – thanks, in no small part, to Fiennes’ performance as the villainous Voldemort, who, after his debut in GOBLET OF FIRE, became the most intriguing part of the movies.
4. THE READER (2008)
A moving story of a man whose life is turned upside down by the love affair he had 
with a mysterious older woman in his youth. Set in post World War II Germany, Michael Berg (David Kross/Ralph Fiennes) sees his long-lost love after ten years, only to find her convicted of Nazi war crimes. His love for Hanna and his confusion and guilt over her actions take over his life and follow him to his older age.
Adapted from Bernhard Schlink’s 1995 novel by the same name, the film gave star Kate Winslet her first and well-deserved Oscar for her portrayal of the illiterate Hanna Schmitz. THE READER is a thought provoking film, and one that is sure to stick in the mind.
3. THE CONSTANT GARDNER (2005)
In third place is a story of love and deception. Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) is a British High-Commissioner delegate to Africa and a dedicated gardener, whose activist wife Tessa (Rachel Weisz) is found brutally murdered. Shocked by loss and haunted by remorse, Justin takes on a personal journey that spans across three continents to unravel the mystery behind his wife’s sudden death and its connection to a pharmaceutical company conducting illegal activities.
Adapted from John Le Carre’s 2001 novel, it’s a love story told retrospectively. However it also deals with the feeling of betrayal, at a personal and political level, and teaches us the full meaning the film’s own tagline: Love. At Any Cost.
2. THE ENGLISH PATIENT (1996)
Here is where the list gets very serious. In second place is a winner of nine Academy
Awards – a film that can truly be described as one of the most gripping and heart-breaking love stories of all time.
Towards the end of World War II an Italian nurse called Hana (Juliette Binoche) tends to an injured patient (Ralph Fiennes) who is suffering from amnesia. Rediscovering his memory through a series of flashbacks, we slowly learn about his past, his career and his secret love affair.
THE ENGLISH PATIENT is a genuine and beautiful film about the enduring power of love, proving how circumstances lead us to places we never thought we would end up. A must see for lovers of grand cinema.
1. SCHINDLER’S LIST (1993)
A powerful story about the ability of one person to make a change, SCHINDLER’S
LIST takes its well-deserved first place at the top of our list.
Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) is a businessman from Czechoslovakia, who hopes to exploit the availability of cheap Jewish labour for his factory. His concerns rise, however, when he discovers the Nazi persecution of his workers and sets up a list to stop his workers being sent to Auschwitz.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film is shot in black and white (with meaningful hints of colour) and lays bare the horrors of the holocaust. Fiennes gives one of the best performances of his life as the ruthless SS Lieutenant Amon Goeth, who arrives to Krakow to oversee the construction of a new concentration camp, and is eventually bribed by Schindler, inevitably helping him save thousands of lives. The film was an overall success, with audiences and critics alike. It won seven Academy Awards and in 2007 the American Film Institute ranked it 8th on its list of the 100 best American films of all time.
Having journeyed from the magical world of Hogwarts, through World War II Germany, the deserts of North Africa and modern day London, we now reach the end of our list. Ralph Fiennes’ intensity on screen resonates through all these different roles and now we can just wait for the release of Coriolanus, predicted to be his best role to date.
CORIOLANUS is released in UK cinemas 20th January
