I really didn't know much about Orlando before seeing it. In fact, I was prepared for a subtitled film. All I knew was that people said this was a good movie. I was incredibly surprised.

Orlando is the name of the protagonist of this story. From the beginning we are confused and wonder about Lord Orlando's sexuality. Is he a young man or a woman in disguise?

Orlando is charged by Queen Elizabeth I to not grow old, and Orlando keeps this promise. The film spans Orlando's life for 400 years, not aging a day. But that isn't Orlando's real talent. Orlando's talent is abandoning that which is safe in favor of a rich life. Orlando abandons a fiancee for the daughter of an ambassador, only to become heartbroken. When it is pointed out to Orlando that a promising career is being ruined, his reply is, "I don't want a career, what most interests me is love."

This is a wonderful British production (no subtitles), beautifully directed and photographed. The pace may be difficult for an American audience. It is a slower film than the typical Hollywood film, but this is the correct pace for this film. Tilda Swinton's portrayal of Orlando stays on the mark throughout this film. If you are not sure if you can like a foreign film, start with this one.