A lovely remake of "Death Takes A Holiday"

Rating: 8/10 (27 April 2010)

This movie is a remake of a classic '40's movie called "Death Takes A Holiday", and while remakes can be chancy, this one is sweet and fun to watch. My only quibble is that the movie is a bit long, but all the scenes are woven together so that the length of the movie (3 hours) pass by seamlessly. Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt, especially, are wonderful together and it is very interesting to see the youthful Pitt be in the 'power' position with the far-more-established, older (and always superb) Anthony Hopkins. Pitt's portrayal of Death incarnate is delightful as he attempts to navigate the world of the living; his often naive but utterly honest character is delightful to watch and Hopkins carries off his role of guide to Pitt with his typical panache and elegance. The supporting cast of Claire Forlani, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeffrey Tambor and Jake Weber are all superb and perfectly cast in their roles. I would be remiss without mentioning the musical score by Thomas Newman. It is gorgeous, sumptuous and stunning in places.
In fact, the final scene (which I won't ruin here!) is made so much more poignant with the gorgeous music of the soundtrack adding to the emotion of the moment that the music is, as is often the case in movies, like another member of the cast. If you are a fan of any of these actors or just enjoy movies with a pleasant and/or slightly supernatural plot, this movie will not disappoint you. There is a touch of comedy, a lot of pathos and an offbeat love story all mixed into one, and if you can watch the last ten minutes of this movie without feeling moved to tears I would encourage you to check your pulse because, music included, it is a stunningly beautiful ending. Take a chance and get to know Mr Black..he and the Parrish family are worth it!