Rating: 
Summary: ERE I AM JH
Review: This is one of those movies that was really confusing and wierd, but the next day you realize it was really good too. The plot is somewhat weak but the world Giliam creates overshadows all of the flaws in this movie. Jonathan Pryce's bumbling character can get a bit tiresome, but he's also very funny. One has to watch this at least twice to enjoy it thoroughly, or at least think about the movie over a day or two before you judge it.
Rating:
Summary: Great Film, Excellent DVD
Review: Terry Gilliam truly reached his apex with "Brazil," a bizarre dystopian fantasy in which the oppresive regime is not brutal fascism, but efficient beauracracy that reduces human life to paperwork. Visually the film is stunning, and multiple viewings reveal the intricacies and complexities in Gilliam's morally ambiguous fable. The DVD itself is most impressive, showcasing both the expanded director's cut and the butchered, mangled edited version designed to make the film more commercial. The director's cut features commentary by Gilliam, and the edited version features a very illuminating commentary by Gilliam expert David Morgan. In addition, there is an entire disc filled with supplemental material, including a making-of documentary, behind-the-scenes looks at everything from script development to scoring, and a great hour-long investigation into the trouble Gilliam had releasing his version of the film. Overall, the film is great and the DVD makes the experience all the more pleasurable.
Rating:
Summary: Jeopardise your credit rating
Review: Released after much studio wrangling, this long, complex comic tragedy presents an alternative '1984', in which a humble clerk's life is sent off the rails by love. Along with 'Time Bandits' this is the film people are thinking about when they praise Terry Gilliam - it has a shadowy, noir-ish look, and lots of dark, slapstick humour laced with casual, extreme brutality. As a comedy it fails utterly - it's not even remotely funny - but as a satirical presentation of a nightmare world, one increasingly similar to mid-80's Britain, it's extremely effective. As a mid-80's Hollywood sci-film it's totally unique, and the large budget and excellent cast of British character actors (including Robert De Niro in an extended, almost wordless cameo, the ever-excellent Ian Holm, and Michael Palin, 'the nice one' from Monty Python, cast against type as a government torturer) fit the pan-generational mood perfectly.This DVD version is a model of how to release things properly (it's by Criterion, after all), and thankfully it doesn't have the mish-mash 'Hollywood' ending that plagued US television showings - instead, it has a whole extra DVD of documentaries and extra stuff, and short of including a copy of the 'Battle For Brazil' book, or a bag full of chocolate-covered ring doughnuts, it couldn't really be any better.
Rating:
Summary: What an incredible bargain!
Review: My friends gasped when they heard what I paid for the film BRAZIL. But they changed their tune when they found out what I got for it. Not only do I get the final cut of the film as Terry Gilliam intended, but his running commentary with it. Plus there's a second DVD loaded with illuminating behind-the-scenes features including how they created the special effects, not to mention the difficulties Gilliam had in releasing the version he wanted. There's also lots of interviews with the cast and crew, plus storyboards, reference photos, and more! The third disk has the version the studio wanted to release along with commentary on how it differs from the director's cut. All of it is collected in a nicely designed package. If you're a fan of this film, this Criterion Collection version was created for you. (If you're not, you're probably not reading this anyway!) There's enough BRAZIL thrills for a whole weekend of viewing. Watch it with your fellow film fanatics to provoke some very interesting discussions and debates, not only on the themes of BRAZIL, but also on studio interference and how warranted is it. I really enjoyed learning how a film is made and was amazed at the BS and red tape a director has to go through before he can even start taping. No wonder Hollywood films are rarely great!
Rating:
Summary: I do not give 5 stars lightly. This is one of my 5 favorites
Review: The ultimate anti-utopian film. Imagine "1984" on ecstasy. Buy this film, or the bigger boxed set with extras. But, GET IT SEE IT. (pant, pant, pant...) Okay, the executive summary: 1. Acting - DeNiro, Palin, Pryce, Helman, need I say more? Rocks. 2. Plot - A man who dares to dream seizes the chance to be a hero and earns his reward. Don't ask any more, see the film. 3. Directing / special effects / production design / etc - Amazing, gothic-comic. Gilliam at the top of his game. Executive summary: Read my reviews of other films. I never say "buy this now" to everyone. This is the exception - it is accessible to anyone who has two grey cells and a neuron or two, but it is far from simplistic. Not a first date movie, but if your date sees it and hates it, dump them like a hot brick, for you are dating a soulless, dead thing. Don't read the other reviews for plot info - buy this DVD and watch it. Seriously - you, you there, who is thinking "gee, I don't know..." - BUY IT. Trust me. It'll open your mind.
Rating:
Summary: A must-have edition of a must-see film
Review: The 3-disk DVD edition of Terry Gilliam's "Brazil" from The Criterion Collection is simply extraordinary. Now, I would be the first to admit that "Brazil" is not everyone's cup of tea, but I am among those who think it a brilliant piece of cinema -- dark and funny and a thoroughly enveloping alternative world. Not only does this edition give us Terry Gilliam's "final cut" of his movie (with an alternate audio commentary track from Gilliam), but also the disastrous studio cut released for syndicated television (the studio failed to even make a sow's ear out of this silk purse). And there are two documentaries (one about making the film and one about Gilliam's battle with the studio over the movie), plus a great deal of production background material. A fascinating compilation of material -- and I would recommend having Jack Mathews's book "The Battle of Brazil" on hand as well.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Vision, Expertly Told!
Review: This film is bursting with originality and intelligence. Immensely entertaining and filled with black comedy, but it is also a feats for the eyes; the set designs are breathtaking and Gilliam's version of a duct-infested future, while it is frustrating to even imagine this becoming our reality, it is one of the most possible scenarios for the next century. The dream sequences are unique and add the 'Fantasy' element to the film. Jonathan Pryce is perfect as the wimpy day-dreaming Sam Lowry and delivers a great performance. Ian Holm and Michael Palin are also great in support. Robert DeNiro and Bob Hoskins also lend a hand as duct engineers from opposite sides. May also appeal to sci/fi fans. Brilliant mind-bending vision that is also funny, smart, witty and entertaining. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 9!
Rating: 
Summary: Original
Review: While not completely holding up over time this is still an amazing movie. This movie along with Bladerunner and visually noteworthy due to their incorporation of old and new to create a futuristic environment rather than just new(although I think Gilliam didn't intend this to necessarily be in the future). At times, and Gilliam sort of admits this during the voice over, there is a lot of pure 'stream of consciousness' themes added that, for me, don't necessarily tie in well with the rest of the movie. This is a very minor issue though. The DVD package is about all you could hope for if that is a deciding factor for a purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Gilliam Forever!
Review: I was talking to a friend at work once about this film. He said he liked it but wanted to know what it was about. I looked around at the cube farm where we worked, the fortress-like building without a breath of fresh air, the stultifying work we did, the brown, oily river flowing through the city completely encased in concrete, the suspicious managers that wandered through our floor. All I could answer was, "This, all this. "
Rating:
Summary: There is no future, and England's dreaming...
Review: This remains one of my favorite movies, although most people I know don't like it. Terry Gilliam does a fantastic job of directing with this one, and all sorts of actors turn up in it - Robert DeNiro, Bob Hoskins, Ian Holm, Michael Palin. It is set in a dystopian future ("somewhere at the end of the 20th century") where bureaucracy rules the day. Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is a latter-day Walter Mitty in this Orwellian world, bumbling and daydreaming his way through life, until he discovers love, which, in this society, gets him in all sorts of trouble. I think the movie is tracking Sam's mental breakdown, which is a likely consequence of living in such a rotten world. The sets are incredible - claustrophobic, filled with bizarre gadgets that are both modern and retro at the same time. And several dream sequences are simply beautiful. The ugliness of the real world contrasted with the beauty of Sam's inner world is bracing, just as their inevitable collision is regrettable. "Brazil" has a very British sense of humor which may leave people scratching their heads, but it makes me laugh even after I've seen it a bunch of times. One of my favorite parts shows a dowdy receptionist using some kind of automated typing prosthetic to take dictation of a torture session, dutifully taking down every scream of the person in the other room, all the while with a cheerful demeanor as she talks to Sam. Also, pay close attention to details in this movie - especially the posters which appear throughout. The movie mocks and satirizes bureaucracy amid a society clearly coming apart at the seams, and amid the satire and the comedic take on things, there lies a sinister undercurrent. This is a world gone very wrong. You'll be singing the title song long after you've seen it. The fade to white at the end is interesting in itself - I keep wondering why Gilliam opted for that.
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