Brazil

Rating:
Summary: A modern day masterpiece
Review: Brazil is a piece of movie majesty that confuses me at times, but I enjoy it none the less. It pokes a lot of fun at the ridiculous rat-race lifestyle, while following one man's struggle to attain his fantasy and escape the harsh reality before him.

Cameos by Bob Hoskins and Bobby D. add even more comedy to the movie. Hoskins plays a repair man for Central Services, while DeNiro plays a rogue HVAC repairman. The whole mess occurs due to an insect initiated typo that starts a series of events leading to our hero meeting the woman of his dreams. (literally)

Terry Gilliam gets to show this masterpiece as he originally intended by making the director's cut available. This version does away with the happy ending that the movie industry forced upon America, and replaces other deleted footage.

The bonuses abound in this collection. The director's cut of the movie and the American "Love conquers all" version, as well as lots of behind the scenes clips, script info, special effects footage, etc, etc. I still haven't gotten the time to go through all that the Brazil Criterion Collection has to offer.

Any fan of this movie who has not seen this version owes it to themselves to find out what this movie was meant to be. You will also be treated to the struggle that Terry went through in trying to release this picture as he had created it. The insight to what goes on behind the screen is very enlighting.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic.
Review: I could babble incessantly about how much I love this movie, but I'll spare you ... the Criterion Collection DVD is well worth the money. If you're going to buy it, get this edition... the documentary material alone is worth it.

And for those of you who don't understand "what's so great" about "Brazil" - it's probably because you've seen it done a dozen times in a dozen other films that were made after it. This film has influenced countless other directors ... namely, Tim Burton. But not at least respecting this film for what it is - a ground-breaking piece of art - is akin to watching a Citizen Kane and going, "Yeah, so what?" (No, it's not AS good as Citizen Kane, but, you know what I mean.)

Terry Gilliam is a one of a kind director - which may be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it - but his skewed vision of the world around him is always interesting for me to watch.

Rating:
Summary: If you buy and Criterion Collection, buy the Brazil one.
Review: This edition of Brazil adds so much to a movie that I didn't know had so much history behind it. It tells the ironic stopry of how a movie that attacks the system we live was almost devoured by it. It has the original version of the film that the studios wanted to release, a hollow mockery of the film, containing a touch of death to any serious movie, a happy ending. It also contains a full version with a missing scene that makes the whole movie complete. If you want to chalenge your world perception, then buy this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Pure Genius!
Review: Brazil is not light viewing! When you watch this tape take the phone off the hook, send the kids to the multiplex and put the do not disturb sign on the door. You must become totally absorbed in this film or you will get hopelessly lost and never catch up. Every second of the movie and every inch of the screen is filled to the brim. Watch it by yourself the first time, then be ready. Your friends will not understand, your spouse will think you're crazy.

But we all know, Brazil is one of the best movies ever made!

Rating:
Summary: The best movie of all time, 'nuff said
Review: Brazil is scary, sad, funny, violent, intelligent. Don't listen to people who didn't like it, they just didn't understand anything... and this proves once again that all true masterpieces are controversials (like citizen kane). Every scene is perfect. This is perfection made movie.

Rating:
Summary: Thank God... Thank God for Terry Gilliam.....
Review: As I type I lie in eager wait for the 3-disk edition of this beautiful piece to arrive. For now, let me indulge you.... Brazil is one of those films. Just one of those films that you describe to others as "One of THOSE films", 'those' being a small collection of movies that you hold dear to your heart and look upon as classics, modern or old. Brazil is just one of THOSE films. Brazil will not age. Brazil will not become obsolete due to advances in film-making technology or modern fashion. Brazil cannot do any of these things. Brazil is kinda funny in that way. How does one describe Brazil.... Brilliant? It fits well into that. Important? Oh yes. Funny? Well, that's the strange bit. Of all its merits, the fact that Brazil is a work of art, a social statement and a rather shockingly moving yet subtle film whilst still succeeding admirably at making you laugh..... Well.... What can you say to something like that? Brazil is over the top, but it isn't obtrusively so. It is extremely funny, but not in a joke-punchline sort of way. The humour in Brazil is, to me anyway, like the way that a banana is funny. I find bananas hilarious, and yet they are not. But they are. Think about it and you'll see what I'm getting at, but I don't know how Mr Gilliam would react to his film being compared to a bouncy, yellow squidgy sickle shaped fruit. Brazil is a mixture of so many things that summarising it would ruin it, defining it would be impossible, and forgetting about it... You never will. Ever. It's just one of those films. Trust me.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best films of the '80s
Review: Terry Gilliam's BRAZIL is one of the greatest films of the '80s (along with BLUE VELVET, DEAD RINGERS, THE SHINING, and RAISING ARIZONA), and probably one of the greatest ever for that matter. It is impossible to describe, but if forced I would say that it's a cross between Kurt Vonnegut and George Orwell, with the visual style of Kubrick (at his most feverish) or Godard (at his most puzzling) -- but even this doesn't come close to the feeling one gets from the film. The acting is great, but it's enough simply to look at the awe-inspiring production design. Gilliam has an equally hilarious and disturbing visual imagination, a sense of the grotesque and surreal that harks back to his days as animator for "Monty Python's Flying Circus". His skewered vision is utterly appropriate in telling the story of Sam Lowry (played by the brilliant Jonathan Pryce), a luckless, clumsy office clerk whose dismal existence is tempered with a fantastic dream-life, in which he is a winged superhero fighting off monster samurai-robots and weird little goblins, all for the love of his dream girl (Kim Greist), who, to his delighted surprise, turns out to exist in the person of Jill Layton, a tough tomboy with ties to the terrorist organization. Meanwhile, a governmental snafu finds the wrong man arrested for crimes against the state. All this is never resolved -- many people have rightly accused Gilliam's magnum opus of being "a mess"; but, given the subject matter, this is only logical. Gilliam's anti-authoritarian theme has been done thousands of times before (his story closely resembles the equally bleak but much more serious 1984), but it's delivered in such a fresh way, with such amazing pyrotechnics, and with such dynamic performances (delivered by a mixture of British and American actors including Bob Hoskins, Ian Holm, Robert DeNiro, ex-Python Michael Palin, and Kathryn Helmond) that it seems to be the first time we're hearing it. Watch BRAZIL if you're interested in true filmmaking genius and marvel at the fact that not only did Gilliam have a hell of a time simply getting his film made and released, but it wasn't even an Oscar winner (I don't even think it was nominated, although obviously it should've won at least for production design). Gilliam has directed many excellent films since this one, but BRAZIL remains, to my mind, his masterpiece: funny, scary, silly, and ultimately heartbreaking. Not intended for light viewing. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: For Completists
Review: This collection features two alternate versions of BRAZIL--both of which truly stink when compared to the original. One is edited to death by the film's infamously possessive producer, the other liberally enlarged (and dramatically weakened) by the director. Together, the two "cuts" make a terrific case against any one person having total control of their creative output.

This collection also features a so-so documentary called THE BATTLE OF BRAZIL, about the public war waged between the director and the producer over the film's content--frankly, THE HAMSTER FACTOR (a brief documentary on the 12 MONKEYS DVD) was much a more insightful look at Gilliam's unique brand of stubborn genius than what's featured here.

So even if you're a real big Gilliam fan, I'd just rent this one--it's useful to see all of this stuff, but it doesn't garner repeat viewings.

Rating:
Summary: Stunning
Review: This is a brilliant film. Unfortunately, the second half can seem slow. If one so desires to sit through it, he/she may fall in love with it the same way I did. Beautiful climax!

Rating:
Summary: The best movie ever
Review: Ohh my God!This is the best films ever to be released on DVD or VHS.I don't care about the 3 disc collection of the film,the film itself was terrefic.If you can get the 3 disc one you should get it because it restores some scenes that were not in the American version that were in the European version to make this wonderful director's cut.I highly recomend this films,Terry Giliam should have won an Oscar for best picture and best screenplay and also best actor for Johnathen Pryce for is performance.It doesn't matter which version that you would bye but get the 142 minute version unstead of the 131 minute version.And if you have seen both then you really wouldn't see anything new.On the 3rd disc there is the "Love Conquers All" version of the film known as the TV version that was cut down almost by and hour.If you only have 90 minutes to spare you should watch that version because it has new footage that is not in any version but there is a lot taken out compared to the real version.Thats all I have to say about this film.