I think I'm being mean in this review, but not as mean as I could make it to be.

Rating: Null/10 (2 January 2001)

I had heard the hype and I had heard the criticisms. So I thought that I may as well watch it to judge for myself.
You know, this really could have been an incredily interesting film. It isn't though because I guess it had box office obligations to fulfil. (Come on, Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins don't come cheap!) I respect that. Ok, so it's going to be a bit cliche ridden and a bit sappy, as long as there was a reasonably good storyline, I could live with it...not the case here.
This film had an unbelievable premise (no pun intended). I mean, here was director Martin Brest who made the wonderful film Scent of a Woman, Anthony Hopkins who was just magic as Hannibal Lector and Brad Pitt whose only praise I can conjure is his terrific performance in 12 monkeys and his near cameo appearance in Thelma and Louise. There was so much talent yet somehow, they didn't contribute to the desired effect.
First off, most of the dialogue is in ultra hush hush tones. Not for the hearing challenged. And if you can get past the volume, there's a clarity problem. Pitt just doesn't seem to talk much and when he does, it's undecipherable mumble.
Secondly, death taking on human form. If death is the undeniable force Brad Pitt earlier claims to Anthony Hopkins, he certainly dumbs down to meet the real world. There was so much conviction of his own importance that I find it improbable that 'Death' could be so naive. And if 'Death' is so easily led to falling in love, certainly he would feel the sorrow of the world, the ordinary sufferings of humans which we have taken for granted and he would have been affected by these thoughts as well. In the true style of Hollywood, 'Death' manifested into humanity sees and experiences the good but not the bad.
Thirdly, the sick Jamaican woman. After adopting the accent, I didn't recognise that Pitt was trying to sympathise with the woman. I thought he was mocking the way she spoke. Anyhow, it was terrible to the nth degree.
Fourthly, Oh my GOD did it DRAG!! Three hours which could easily have been cut down to two if they'd cut down on some of those pseudo-important, sentimental or romantic close ups which achieve nothing except that they are pretty faces to look at. It gave the effect of looking at pictures of the actors in a tabloid magazine. They were just so frozen and lifeless.
Fifthly: maybe I wasn't paying attention by that stage but I thought that the ending wasn't very coherent. It was never made clear the nature of Anthony Hopkins' ending and what would happen afterwards. Also, this film's ending focuses on Pitt and Forlani and seems to forget that someone has died...? (a fate suffered also by the film Return to Paradise). And if you think about it, why would Joe Black be in the coffee house to begin with?
and lastly. Death which apparently knows the workings of the universe doesn't knock on your door everyday. So why wasn't Anthony Hopkins' character a bit more opportunistic and asked him to reveal some of that knowledge? I certainly would.
I thoroughly didn't like this film but at least I watched it to the end to be fair and so I could give a valid review of it (kinder than a lot of people who just give an opinion even though they've only seen half of it). So watch it, and have a good laugh with me.