Twelve Monkeys is both interesting and a bit annoying...

Rating: 7/10 (19 June 2004)

***POSSIBLE MINOR SPOILERS***
I saw Twelve Monkeys last night for the first time all the way through. I had seen bits and pieces of the movie a long time ago but never the whole movie. I have to say that I was intrigued by the movie but was a little disappointed by a few things.
First, I thought the acting was basically good. Bruce Willis was superb as James "Bob" Cole, as he was pretty sympathetic all through the movie. He seemed both willing to go back into the past but unsure of whether or not he could really do anything or if it would even make a difference.
Madeline Stowe was good for most of the movie as Dr. Kathryn Railly, the psychiatrist. Yet, I thought her transformation at the end of the movie was a little sudden. She went from being a pure skeptic and psychiatrist to a pure believer and love interest pretty quickly once she went back to Philly without Cole.
Brad Pitt was certainly memorable as crazy Jeffrey Goines, but I thought his performance was TOO over-the-top and actually pretty annoying. All of the hand motions and the long, mumbling speeches were a bit tiring. I couldn't help but think that Jeffrey was just a hyperactive version of Tyler Durden (Fight Club) or even David Mills (Seven)--all of whom use hand-gestures to excess.
I thought the directing was really good from Terry Gilliam. He made the future look very bleak and the way he shot the insane asylum--with its white lights (so white that the only words that comes to mind are antiseptic or clean...maybe if you see the movie, you'll understand what I mean)--was brilliant as it seemed like an absolute daunting and absurd place.
The ending was a little strange too. I think there's about two or three ways you could evaluate how the movie goes. That fact will frustrate those looking for closure, but personally, I like deciding how I think the story was meant to end.
Overall, the acting ranged from the great to the annoying but the directing was very good and the story is certainly interesting.
I give it a 7/10