Alien or Just Plain Bananas? (K-Pax (DVD))

Member Name: SWSt

Product:	K-Pax (DVD)
Date:	11/01/07 (207 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Two superb central performances; genuinely interesting

Disadvantages: Second part too melodramatic; little bit cliched

(Film only review)

What’s it about?
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A mysterious man arrives at a psychiatric hospital claiming he is an alien from the planet K-PAX. Is he telling the truth or does something else lie behind his claim?

Who’s in it?
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For all the people we encounter during this film, there are only two who really count: Jeff Bridges as psychiatrist Dr Powell and Kevin Spacey as Prot. Given that we spend so much time observing these two, it is essential that they turn in compelling performances. Thankfully, both deliver the goods.

Jeff Bridges is excellent as Dr Mark Powell a man who undergoes a strong, yet subtle transformation during the film. Starting out as slightly worn down and jaded, his relationship with Prot rejuvenates him, making him care once more and able to get his life into perspective. Bridges handles the role well – it would have been too easy to make this a showy role and veer off into histrionics (I shudder to think what Robin Williams would have done with it). Bridges, however, plays the role quietly and with an introspective nature, gradually breaking down his character’s defensive exterior and allowing us to see the real Mark Powell.

Despite Bridges’ powerful performance, however, the film belongs to Kevin Spacey as Prot. Spacey is a wonderfully versatile actor, and here he gets the chance to show off his range. Whatever emotion he is trying to portray, he does brilliantly – the distant, detached interest he shows in “earth customs”, the caring element he shows when bringing a little joy to his fellow patients, the disdain when encountering sceptical academics who challenge his ideas and the vulnerability. The stand-out sequences have to be the hypnosis ones, which are simply astounding. As Prot is in a trance, his whole voice and body undergo a startling transformation. In a way, it’s a shame that such an acting performance occurs in such a run of the mill film.

Most importantly, since this is the main focus of the film, there is a real spark, a genuine sense of growing respect and friendship, between the two main characters that carries the film.

Is it any good
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Overall, K-PAX is an entertaining film that, thanks to the two central performances, really manages to capture and maintain your interest. Principally, this is because the film has a strong mystery element to it and the you will be as anxious as the psychiatrist to work out whether Prot really is a visitor from another planet, or whether he is a hoaxer; and if the latter, why?

Spacey’s clever performance, combined with a carefully constructed script will keep most people guessing and this is what gives the film real mileage. Like Mark Powell, the initial reaction is to dismiss Prot as a deluded crank with silly tendencies (such as eating an unpeeled banana) designed to reinforce the delusion. As the evidence mounts, however, the picture becomes increasingly blurred and you feel a little less inclined to dismiss him outright. Moreover, thanks to Spacey’s excellent performance, you WANT to believe he is an alien.

The film also examines the positive effect which Prot’s appearance has on all those around him – from his fellow patients to the doctors and nurses, even Powell’s family. There is actually quite a strong moral message running through the film (treat everyone with respect, no matter what their circumstances) and, for the most part, it manages to tread that fine line between drama and over-sentimentality.

Having praised it for these elements, it’s a shame then, to have to point out that it really is a film of two parts. For the first hour and a quarter, it is an intriguing mystery film, dominated by Spacey and Bridges and thoroughly entertaining. The second part, however, is less satisfying and descends much more into TV-movie melodrama. It loses the focus on Prot and Powell and tries to spread its view much wider, looking at Powell’s family, other patients and so on. As a result, the elements which made the first part so compelling are somewhat diluted. It’s testimony to the two main actors that the scenes in which they don’t appear (or more accurately, in which they don’t appear together) are more heavy-handed, over-sentimental and less interesting.

Another criticism is that it is perhaps a little clichéd. Powell has a dysfunctional family (including an estranged son) and his determination to help Prot sees this suffering further. This is Hollywood, so there’s no prizes for guessing how this all turns out in the end!

There are also some fairly blatant plot holes. I can’t really tell you what these are without giving away the ending. The film tries to explain them away with a brief throwaway one-line explanation, but it’s not exactly successful. In fairness, whilst you’re actually watching the film you don’t actually notice the plot holes that much, partly because the intriguing concept has you hooked and partly because you assume that everything will become clear by the end of the film. However, this isn’t the case, and some fairly important questions are just glossed over.

After its descent into over-sentimentalised territory, however, the film manages a brief revival. The scenes surrounding Prot’s proposed trip back to his home planet are surprisingly tense, even though by this time the truth has been revealed and many viewers will have anticipated the outcome. Even then, the final scene with Bridges and Spacey is both touching and intriguing, adding a final (deliberately ambiguous) end to the story, which manages to recapture the interest which the earlier part of the film built up.

Conclusion
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Not an essential watch by any means, but one which is surprisingly enjoyable. The first part in particular is intriguing and entertaining and will keep most viewers guessing. Inevitably, it runs out of steam a little and becomes more generic during the second half, and it’s probably not a film that warrants a second viewing. If you got a spare couple of hours, you could certainly do worse than spending them in the company of Prot!

Basic Information
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K-PAX
2001
Director: Iain Softley
Running Time: approx. 120 minutes
Certificate: 12

Trivia
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The scene where Prot eats a whole unpeeled banana had to be filmed several times. The bananas Spacey was eating were real and, according the producers, after several takes, he was “starting to act a bit funny!”

Summary: Surprisingly watchable - at least once.