Good film - but I was left strangely unsatisfied...

Rating: Null/10 (4 September 1999)

There are loads of reviews of "Twelve Monkeys" that say it's a fantastic film, and it's undoubtedly one of the finest examples of moviemaking, and that it has enough special qualities to separate it from the other merely 'good' films the world has to offer. This ain't one of those reviews. It's not that I disbelieve people when they say they love it - and the film offers superb performances (particularly from Brad Pitt), a wonderful visual style and exactly the right sort of direction (from a very talented Mr. Gilliam) for the movie. Everything fits together very nicely indeed. But personally, I just found it lacking in... Oh blast, I don't know. I'm human.
Having said that, the positive points of the film (in addition to those already mentioned) seem to leap out at hit one smack in the face: inspired camerawork, thrilling storyline, nice soundtrack, a keep-you-guessing plot... all the elements are there. I think I wanted something more from the movie, though - I wanted a certain sense of wonder, that I get from the end of movies like "Cinema Paradiso", "Edward Scissorhands", "Casablanca", "Stand By Me" and so on. Maybe that's greedy. "Twelve Monkeys" interested me - it interested me a great deal, but I wasn't inspired.
The bits I particularly liked were the clever Hitchcock references and the way the society appeared to respond to 'madness'. It's clear that Terry Gilliam knows his subject. It's also interesting to compare the film to his earlier work, "The Fisher King", for both films share a fascination with society's underworld: the beggars, the homeless, the 'mad'. It appears that these people have important things to say (at least as many important things to say as the rich, the housed and the 'sane') - and they have more freedom to say what they feel. The thing is, nobody seems to listen.
I could pretentiously twaddle on about this film forever, skirting round the issue of why it just didn't grab me as well as it might, but perhaps it's just me - a personal viewpoint. As James Cole (played with great flair by Bruce Willis) points out, it is our opinions on movies that change, not the movies themselves. I'll perhaps watch it again and love it. If my opinions change, keep an eye out here, and I'll write another review.
I found "Twelve Monkeys" to be visually stunning, wonderfully acted, and quite compelling viewing - but it lacked the 'something' (whatever the hell THAT is - and if you find out, you'd make movies that would be the envy of the world) that makes the movie (for me) a great, great film. Harsh, yes. But it's a good film that can stand a little criticism.