Appointment with Death. (Meet Joe Black (DVD))

Member Name: daseaford

Product:	Meet Joe Black (DVD)
Date:	06/01/02 (48 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Story., Excellent Acting.

Disadvantages: A bit long.

This is a very unusual film that plays on a whole set of emotions including joy, sadness, anger, love and grief.

Bill Parrish (played by Anthony Hopkins) is a very successful businessman as the head of a media broadcasting company. He starts to hear voices and when the owner of the voices introduces himself he is totally shocked. The voices belong to “Death” who has taken the body of a young man to experience what human life is like in the mortal world.

The man is introduced to Bill Parrish’s family as Joe Black (played by Brad Pitt) and from that point on everything in this family’s life seems to change. Parrish has two daughters – Susan (played by Claire Forlani) who is a successful doctor and Allison (played by Marcia Gay Harden) who enjoys life as part of the “rich set”.

Death has come to collect Bill, but allows him some extra time so that as Joe Black he can experience “life”.

Mixed in with Bill’s predicament of facing death is a power struggle in his business empire and the balance between these parts of the story line are put together well.

The film is not at all what I expected and has a number of twists and turns that do make you wonder where the plot is going. At times the film seems like a black comedy, but then turns into a soppy love movie. It shows how a powerful and successful man could face up to death and it is intriguing how the story line is put together.

The acting in the film is excellent, with my own favourite being Claire Forlani who plays the part of the daughter, Susan, really well and looks stunning in every shot.

But, if you do decide to watch this film, then make yourself comfortable. It is three hours long and I did find a bit long, which is unusual for me as I normally prefer longer movies.

I expected there to be a twist at the end of the film, which there is, but it certainly was not what I expected. A lo
t of the enjoyment of this film was not knowing what would happen next and so I do not think I would watch it again as this mystery would not be there. This does not mean that I did not think it was a good movie. Do have your tissues handy for the sad bits.

The film is intriguing and cleverly made, with no special effects or stunts, just a very good people movie that relies on the story line and the acting, and everything comes together very well to make an excellent movie.

Summary: