On M List of Movie Reviews

(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)

---

Meet Joe Black (1998)

Rate: 9
Viewed: 4/09

4/09: I remember when the three-hour-long Meet Joe Black received plenty of negative criticism, causing me to forget about it.

Now, I've taken the chance on it only to come away impressed. Meet Joe Black is similar to The Seventh Seal but is superior because it's less abstract and has more substance. The latter is just a chess game when the former is about the taste of life Death wants to experience.

The pace is deliberately slow as the story is unpredictable from minute to minute. I love the performances, and they're all wonderful. Yet the range of emotions the thespians have showed has been limited. For instance, Brad Pitt shows off several expressions. Claire Forlani is either confused or surprised in a loving way. Anthony Hopkins takes the pensive route by sometimes leaning against the wall or chair. Nevertheless, everybody is perfectly cast. The only one who stands out is Jake Weber as Drew.

All in all, I thought about giving Meet Joe Black a '10', but I'll reserve my judgment until I see it one or two more times.

---