Philip K. Dick meets The Game

Rating: 10/10 (10 January 2002)

First of all, to people who say the original was better, and ask why the movie was made: Excuse me, but it is near impossible to enjoy a movie to its full extent if you are reading subtitles. It distracts and it detracts, both from the narrative and, most of all, the performances. This movie was made because most people in the world who would see such movies speak english (not a native speaker myself, but everyone with half a brain learns english nowadays). Kurosawa's films are great, but every time I watch them I wish I could understand Japanese. Enter the remake. And by god, for once a remake is good (painful memories of that horrible botching of Besson's La Femme Nikita). I haven't seen the original, but suffice it to say that I enjoyed this movie thoroughly. Negative comments about Tom Cruise's acting cannot be anything other than some sort of personal hangup with the actor, who does exemplary work in Vanilla Sky. Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz both shine, especially Cruz, the scene at the wake was pure perfection. Jason Lee fit his character, and his acting was solid (although I think I'm forever cursed to think of him as Brodie, but that's my problem). The direction was superb, most people would have copied David Fincher here, but Crowe has his own vision, and shows us a movie which keeps lulling into a french romantic drama, then bolting into a sort of David Lynch on speed. Those who claim the ending is not believable... watch documentaries or something. Out of all the wild ideas the film industry, or more precisely, the FICTION industry has produced, this is by far one of the more believable. It had that nice Philip K. Dick sort of feel to it, something which many sci-fi movies aspire to, but few succeed. Perhaps it IS a sort of version of We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, based more firmly in reality, with less shooting than Total Recall. Nonetheless, if you find this movie to be boring, perhaps you should be paying more attention. The Fugitive this is not. But is it good? By god yes.