Whattaya know, Joe?

Rating: 1/10 (30 November 1998)

This could have been a really good film if there had been some consistency with the character of Death. He is powerful and all-knowing when need be, and totally clueless the rest of the time. Death's work is to end every human life at their appointed time, but he has no idea what he's ending. So, for reasons unknown he has the time and ability to find out. Pitt is handsome and charming as a doomed young man in a coffee shop, and handsome, boring and charmless as Death. Hopkins can do great work even in a flawed film. Forlani is believable and beautiful, despite looking as though she is about to fall asleep every five to ten minutes. Not a good quality for a character in a nearly three hour movie. Harden and Tambor (both wonderful talents long before Larry Sanders existed) do some top-quality film work. The message seems to be that family is most important, lots and lots of money is really good, and that death and taxes are still inevitable. I think they also ask the cinematic question, "Just how long can we get away with keeping the camera focused on a well-groomed Brad Pitt in total silence?"