Would've been better if it was an hour shorter

Rating: 4/10 (3 January 1999)

Counting previews, MJB was a three-hour movie. The story isn't really that complex. It felt like a giant ego-trip by the director to drag out every scene as though we are going to ponder the wisdom bestowed to us in every frame.
And yet, I spent most of the movie wondering why no one ever asked what the afterlife was like! Brad Pitt plays Death, he tells Anthony Hopkins he's going to die soon, and Hopkins doesn't ask about the afterlife or his dead wife or any of that. It's not like the movie didn't have enough time to explore these aspects. Despite the director's indulgence and Pitt's unbelievably portrayal of Death, Hopkins still pulls off some wonderful moments. The direction, the screenplay, the lack of editing and Pitt's performance all warrant this a thumbs-down.