Fascinating. Twisted. Disturbing.

Rating: Null/10 (22 November 1999)

It's all about endings...
The film itself contains superb acting from Brad Pitt (surprise, surprise) and "the narrator"
However...
Releasing this as a commercial venture was a mistake. Was 12 Monkeys a commercial film? Was Crash? I think not. The story carries us, mainly through the medium of the bizarre, all the way to the end without giving any indication of where we are going, or what the film is REALLY about. The ending explains everything or nothing, depending on how laterally you can think. See it when you are feeling open minded, see it when you are off your face, see it when you feel surreal. Don't see it when you have your feet on the ground.
The popular reviews place a huge emphasis on the amount of violence in the film, but that element of the film just provides the colour for the main picture. In places, the picture sparkles like a breath of fresh air. In others the stench of decay fills your lungs. There is no place for perfection in the real world, and this film is as flawed as it possibly could be while still being excellent. The lighting, script and effects are nothing outstanding, but the overall impression will have you thinking all the way home.
If you didn't like 12 Monkeys, you won't like this. If you can listen to the line "what are we then? nothing but consumers" with a smile, you'll enjoy fight club.