Popcorn Reviews With Cybèle: Meet Joe Black

By Cybèle Elaine Werts  
CybeleW@aol.com

First  published in the Shelburne News, Shelburne Vermont

Popcorn Kernel Rating (four possible): 3 Kernels for another top notch Anthony Hopkins performance.

The thing about Brad Pitt is that he’s so handsome that my heart twists in pain. Those big blue eyes cause me to wither, and be rendered unable to speak coherently for days. The disadvantage of this is that it’s difficult to judge his acting performances with an objective eye. That being said, I can’t say that I’ve seen a lot of brilliant performances so far. The first time I spied his muscled form was in Thelma and Louise where he played the rogue seducer. Even in a short part such as that, his charm and charisma were unmistakable. The next time was in Legends of the Fall, where in his first scene, he tips his hat to our heroine as the sun sets majestically behind him. Charm in full force made this the best scene of the movie as the rest deteriorated into self indulgent drivel. The last time was Seven Years in Tibet, which while it made the most of his errant blond locks, didn’t do much for me dramatically speaking. Fortunately his co-stars, none of whom I could name on a dare, were top notch, bested only by panoramic cinematography.

So then the real problem comes when Pitt plays a serious role, as he does in Meet Joe Black. He plays Death, who comes to take William Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) to the next world, but decides to stay and enjoy the scenery a bit. Parish is a highly successful and much loved businessman with, of course, a beautiful daughter whom Death can fall for. Don’t be mistaken though, there’s no similarity to A Christmas Carol here. Parish is a good guy through and through, even if he has lost a bit of his lust for life. The big company machinations can be compared to the movie Wall Street with more or less the same ending. The love story is a little more interesting, although both Parish’s daughters spend more time crying or on the edge of tears than I care to see. As for Death, Pitt plays him with a childlike sincerity which seemed staged to me.

There is a good side however. Dispite the long playing time, Anthony Hopkins makes this film jump. As a man facing death, literally and figuratively, he carries off a powerful role with punch and panache. Both the cinematography and pacing are appropriate to the subject matter. Be prepared for three hours and ten minutes of this remake of Death Takes A Holiday (originally approximately 1/3 the time) so sneak a sandwich into the theatre unless you plan on eating popcorn for a meal.

Copyright 2000