Too many twists and turns

Rating: Null/10 (19 August 1999)

The coffee shop scene is the only worthy scene in "Meet Joe Black" (from now on, MJB). Pitt's and Forlani's characters seem genuinely interested in one another.
The rest is a complete failure because MJB asks too much from the audience; it makes the audience aware that this is a movie and the people they see on screen are actors trying to portray characters. A good movie should not do this! The audience, or reader, should be so enraptured by the events and the characters that the audience feels s/he is experiencing life. In MJF, however, there are too many gaps, too many unanswered questions, too many twists and turns. One wonders whether Susan is in love with Death or the man in the coffee shop. One also wonders the plausibility in the character of Death. How does Death play a role in the cosmic order, if he is a virgin to life? The happy ending in the affairs of Hopkins' character is just too much; to the attentive audience, it is obvious that these Hollywood writers are wrapping up what they have unfolded, suckering the audience without shame, without much consideration to the sensitivity of the audience: Death and Bill working together to reveal the swindle behind Susan's ex-boyfriend to the corporation, Susan meeting the guy in the coffee shop after everything is all over, among other things.
In an over all impression of MJB, Pitt is definitely miscast as Death (though he does a good job as the young man in the coffee shop). Hopkins does a superb job in revealing the strength and warmth of his character. The son-in-law and the two daughters character are plausible. Out of four stars, I give MJB one star!