Meet Joe Black (DVD)

Advantages: Good looking actors
Disadvantages: Sloooooooooooooooooooooooow

...movies, and then there is Meet Joe Black. The pace of the film, which runs at just under 3 hours, is unlike anything I ever witnessed. Every line of dialogue, every interaction between the characters is stttttttreeeeeeetchhhhed out. And given some pregnant pauses and long drawn out eye contact. Let me give you an example: Sample scene between Joe Black and love interest Susan "I have something…..to tell you." "Oh?…you…..do? " 30 seconds of "meaningful" ...
...seconds of flashing eyes. The violins swell. "Oh…you are…..you are…Joe…." "Yes. I am…." The violins crash into crescendo. The characters embrace for another two minutes without saying anything. Then, "I…feel…" "I know….." and so on. You think I am exaggerating? I'm not. Drag that kind of carry on over three hours, and during every exchange, and you begin to get the picture. It's a shame, really, because the actors are actually pretty decent. ... Read review

Advantages: Great acting, enjoyable despite the subject of film
Disadvantages: Slightly weak in places

I am at a loss as to how rate this film. On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it, on the other, there were a couple of occasions were it looked really wooden in the plot and acting. The film was on BBC1 last night at 9pm as I settled down to watch a pic of a genre that I really like, i.e. fictional drama, yet the film did not entice me enough when it first came out to go the cinema and fork out £5 plus. It stars two heavyweight, mega ...
...William (aka Bill) Parrish, is a multimillionaire publishing magnet, well known for his strength of character and resolve. When Bill suddenly starts hearing a voice talking to him (suffice to say, it is only audible by him), he seems to wonder what on earth is going on - quite logical really. A short while later, he is visited by none other than the Grim Reaper himself, who (if you can personify Mr. Death Instigator) has possessed the body of an ... Read review

Advantages: sir anthony and brad pitt, a new and original story
Disadvantages: too many long pauses

When this first came out in November 1998, I was quite young, (young enough not to know what the big deal about Brad Pitt was, and young enough not to understand the true brilliance of Sir Anthony Hopkins). Back then I thought that this film was rubbish. Then, about two years ago, my mum brought it home, so I thought that I would give it a shot and I was not disappointed. The film is about a successful media tycoon, William Parrish (Hopkins) living ...
...Susan (Claire Forlani), is in a relationship with his brilliant, yet slimy colleague, Drew, (Jake Weber). One day whilst on her way to her job as a doctor at the hospital, she meets a fascinating, attractive young man in a coffee shop. The two establish an instant spark, but do not discover anything about each other. The two leave the coffee shop without exchanging names or numbers. As they walk away in different directions, Pitt turns to run after ... Read review

Advantages: A really pensive film
Disadvantages: Maybe a little too long

Meet Joe Black is in my opinion a very strange film. It's rather long at nearly 3 hours in length yet the storyline is very simple. The way in which it is constructed however and because of the nature of the story itself makes the film a rather pensive one and so the 3 hour length gives the audience time to think and reflect on what the story is trying to tell you. The film begins with a chance meeting between Claire, a millionaire's daughter and ...
...with the common conception that Meet Joe Black is a train-wreck of a film. It simple isn't. Ok it is long and with no real action in terms of battles or major suspense scenes this may be a tad too long but in my opinion I think that this film is trying to make a statement about life and about death and does so in a way that makes one simple the continuation of the other. I would therefore highly recommend this film to anyone who fancies seeing a ... Read review

Advantages: Brad Pitt, great story
Disadvantages: Makes you think about death

...film then moves on to meet Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins), a multi millionaire businessman, fast approaching his 65th birthday. He starts to hear voices in his library, and is soon confronted by a man who explains that he is Death. Brad Pitt plays the Grim Reaper, and he has taken over the body of a well dressed, articulate and very attractive young man. He explains that he wants to experience life as a mortal, and taste life as we all know it. At ...
...die as fate has decided it is his time. Parrish knows this is the case as he has been plagued by chest pains, and thinks he will have a heart attack. Death promises him more time on Earth to finish his business and say his goodbyes, but only if he can follow Parrish around. Parrish is forced to introduce Death to his colleagues and family, and he is soon known as Joe Black. Joe soon meets Bill’s business colleagues, and he instantly becomes unpopular ... Read review

Advantages: errrrrrrrrrrrrr
Disadvantages: errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

...that the story’s seemingly jumped from one place to another without really explaining itself and leaving the viewer to work it out for themselves. Now that’s all well and good from time to time in a thriller movie if somewhere along the line you get an explanation of everything - but you don’t, you’ve just got to work it out yourself. However having said that when the writers do take their time to ensure you’ve got enough to go by with the storyline there are some witty scenes involved, the type that ensured the movie got a 3 stars out of me instead of a 2 - they’re the type that do leave some of the movie to the watcher to decide, but not all of it, and that is what I personally want from a movie. * Cast * When I read the Cast on the case of this DVD I wasn’t overly excited, sure there was Claire Forlani (of Mallrats and Meeting... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful