High Concept

Rating: Null/10 (6 December 1998)

A film for those firmly convinced that man is his own self-fulfilling prophecy. Twelve Monkeys benefits from the eccentric mind of Chris Marker and vision of Terry Gilliam. The shining point is the high concept: Bruce Willis, Madeline Stowe and Brad Pitt all demonstrate their acting prowess while still being somewhat out of character. The thrust of the theme still stirs interest three years later, and the unsettling tones pervade the film's atmosphere. For the viewer, James Cole falls somewhere between the Christlike figure and Nietzche's Zarathrusta. But then again, don't we all.