Hi,
Sorry if I don't read your newest reviews or return your rates at the moment but ciao's new lay...
Hi,
Sorry if I don't read your newest reviews or return your rates at the moment but ciao's new layout is beyond a joke. xx
Member since:08.02.2008
Reviews:276
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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 a charming young man in a coffee shop. From the start there is definitely an air of romance within the air. Could this be the man her dad was always telling her to find. Unfortunately as the pair leave the coffee shop in opposite directions a car hits the young man.
The millionaire, Bill, himself at this point is due to turn 65 in a few weeks and after hearing a voice he believes to be in his head he finally gives into it and asks his housekeeper to open the door just as the voice requests. The voice turns out to belong to a man who introduces himself as Death; the man's body is that of the charming young man from the coffee shop.
Death
is fed up of simply meeting souls on the other side and choosing Bill as his earthly guide, has decided he would like a tour of real life. In return for this Bill will receive a little longer in the land of the living and so Bill agrees.
Obviously Bill can't introduce the man to his family as Death and so does so as Mr Joe Black. Things however don't go as smoothly as planned when his daughter Claire continues to feel a spark for the person within the body of the man she felt so fondly for and things get even worse when Joe himself starts to feel the spark back. But how can something from one plain of the world love someone from another and what does this mean for Bill?
This may sound rather morbid what with the idea of knowing that death is waiting for you and that whatever you do you cannot escape it but the way in which the film deals with the topic completely removes this idea of morbidity and in a way turns the film into one about rejoicing about what life has blessed you with.
Anthony Hopkins as Bill really plays his part perfectly and grasps the concept of how someone knowing their ultimate fate can continue with their life as normal for the sake of all those around him in a way that is really remarkable. He plays Bill with a delicacy that helps to signify how the situation is hard for him but doesn't let the character become bogged down by what is to come and really plays up the idea of making the most of what you have.
Brad Pitt plays the part of death personified in a way I don't think anyone else could. Being from a completely different place Death is like a fish out of water in 'life' and so has no idea how to function correctly but more importantly how to feel especially when it comes to emotions such as Love. Pitt played this brilliantly portraying death as a person with an adult outlook and knowledge of the world but a childlike perspective. The way he manages to look completely blank and innocence at moments when men of Joe's age would have been confident and charismatic is brilliant.
Not only does the film have a great set of lead actors that really capture the moment of the film and allow the audience to watch this unique philosophical outlook on life in way that is not only ultimately absorbing but also rewarding but it also has a great soundtrack that really boosts the atmospheric nature of the film.
The music coupled with some fantastic camera work that ensures the 3 hour duration of the film remains fresh and new without really helps the film to progress. It lets the audience know what is happening in a way that words couldn't and because of the nature of the film I think that this is the most important factor. Words simply couldn't portray some of the emotions and ideas that the music within this film does and so for me this is certainly an integral part of the whole story.
As you can see I am highly fond of this film and totally disagree 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 more sedate film than normal. If you simple enjoy action then this is certainly not the film for you but if you feel in a more quiet and thoughtful mood then this is definitely something you should give a watch, as it will almost certainly make you think and possibly even cry. Meet Joe Black is for me a film that, although I couldn't watch it time and time again. I will certainly reach for again some time in the future.
Pictures of Meet Joe Black (DVD)
Love at first sight?
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1983 - Drama - Director: Jerry London - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: John Gielgud, Raf Vallone, Christopher Plummer, Gregory Peck
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Meet Joe Blackseemed almost fated to fail when it was released in 1998, but this romantic ... more
fantasy--a remake of 1934'sDeath Takes a Holiday--deserves a chance at life after box-office death. Although many moviegoers were turned off by director Martin Br...
Postage & Packaging: £2.69 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Meet Joe Blackseemed almost fated to fail when it was released in 1998, but this romantic ... more
fantasy--a remake of 1934'sDeath Takes a Holiday--deserves a chance at life after box-office death. Although many moviegoers were turned off by director Martin Br...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Meet Joe Blackseemed almost fated to fail when it was released in 1998, but this romantic ... more
fantasy--a remake of 1934'sDeath Takes a Holiday--deserves a chance at life after box-office death. Although many moviegoers were turned off by director Martin Br...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
![Meet Joe Black [VHS] [1999]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/74877749.jpg "Meet Joe Black [VHS] [1999]")
![Meet Joe Black [DVD] [1999]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/80525588.jpg "Meet Joe Black [DVD] [1999]")
![Meet Joe Black [DVD] [1999] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/75113040.jpg "Meet Joe Black [DVD] [1999] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]")
Sep 24th, 2008
very helpful by (100%):
![Intolerable Cruelty/Meet Joe Black/Jerry Maguire [DVD] [1996]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/77913641.jpg)
