Rating: 
Summary: Meet Joe Black
Review: A westernized conception of a Buddhist or a Hindu theme; or maybe just a 20th Century version of Pluto or Osiris on vacation in New York. Some dialogue could perhaps be considered far-fetched, but Anthony Hopkins delivers his usual brilliant magic. Brad Pitt pulls off a difficult role following 'Seven Years in Tibet'; and Claire Forlani exudes a touching, even slightly naively romantic innocence as the younger daughter/doctor. The director, Martin Brest, does something of a King Lear knockoff here with the daughters vying for the king's/magnate's attention and favor; including the sly fiance who has his own plans. If one sign of a good movie is to make its audience think, this one qualifies in my opinion.
Rating: 
Summary: Sorry, but it was boring
Review: Yes, it was boring. Even watching the ever-watchable Brad Pitt got boring. He and Anthony Hopkins are great actors, and Hopkins was great in this, but the movie just dragged. You can read the plot in the other summaries. Great plot idea, and well thought out. But the character of Death was DULL. I thought Death would be more interesting than that. Hopkins was great as a man facing his own mortality however. Marcia Gay Harden as his dutiful daughter was very interesting to watch; however Claire Forlani as the "doctor" daughter was dull too. She's beautiful to look at, but boring to watch act. First of all, I didn't believe for a minute that she was a medical resident. She had way too much free time to spend with her family to actually be a doctor in training! And she had little backbone or fortitude that I associate with female doctors. Too timid by far. Jefrrey Tambor (sp?) was amusing as the SIL who wants to please everyone. Not a suck-up as someone else wrote, but someone who wants to be friendly and keep things positive. The character of Drew (sorry, don't know actor's name) was a creepy villian whose treachery was obvious from the beginning. The ending seemed anti-climactic to me. If they'd walked off into the darkness and left it there, fine, but to have the first Pitt character come back seemed unbelievable. I mean, how did he get his body back? Anyway, unconvincing performances by many and unsatisfying plot lines. I'd check it out at the library before I'd spend money to buy this one.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, Fine Performances All Around
Review: Long, but worth watching unfold. I truly enjoyed it, and I hope you will too. Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins both bring out the best in each other; Hopkins has a tendency to chew the scenery sometimes when the drama is high and Brad Pitt sometimes retreats behind his on-screen persona [sort of scruffy but charming, and a little vacant] if not challenged in his roles. However, neither one of them do this in this film. Hopkins shows great heart and humanity in a performance that is by turns subtle and stunning in its intensity. Pitt underplays everything except the first scenes in the cafe. This is Pitt as his most charming and engaging, which is saying a great deal. The latter scenes, where Death takes over Pitt's character's body, are all the more amazing because they are so subdued. Death, apparently, is very fond of peanut butter and [as one might expect] one glimpses an exceedingly dry, even arid, sense of humor. Pitt's interpretation of Mr. D. rises to greatness because of the blend of both fulfilled expectations of what Death would be like personified and some surprising twists to the way he behaves. The only point which seems to be a little out of character for Death is when he announces his love for Hopkins' daughter and his intent to take her with him when he goes. I can see where it would be very hard for an actor to make this work, as we know that Death cannot love, for Death is the ultimate Detachment. Love is about attaching one's life and soul to that of another. The body that he occupies can experience heterosexual carnal desire, but Death can't really love someone. The best he can hope for is a moment of the touching of the soul of the one that he loves, before he releases her to the Next Level. Pitt handles the part when he lets the girl know who he really is magnificently, but maybe what could have been done was to play the scene where he confesses his love as an expression of a profound wish that he *could* love someone so worthy of it. But who am I to give acting advice? I hope you enjoy this film, as it is a real pleasure to watch such wonderful actors work under a great director, with a grand story.
Rating:
Summary: Absorbing Exploration Of Meaning Of Mortality!
Review: A film that faces the issue of death head-on does not sound like a very appetizing or appealing subject for Hollywood to bring the big budget approach to, yet in this wonderful remake of an older black and white classic, "Death Takes A Holiday" Director Martin Brest does exactly that, serving up both Sir Anthony Hopkins as the befuddled and yet self-important mortal suddenly confronted with the knowledge of his own imminent demise, and a winsome Brad Pitt as Death himself. Of course, the lovely daughter that Hopkins has in tow attracts Pitt's character, and Death takes a little sojourn to get to know more about life in general and this family in particular.
This is a thoughtful exploration of the fact of Death, its effect on us, and the way in which so many of us are in active denial of both its massive consequences and its finality. Indeed, most of us live our own days as if we were immortal, building up estates and relationships as though to last forever. Yet for us, forever cannot be achieved, at least not on this particular mortal plain. It is precisely in our denial, however, that we come closest to understanding what death really means, both for us in particular and for those meaningful others that surround us. It is this curious fact that the director spends his time so beautifully in exploring, albeit with some classic Hollywood twists and turns in the plot to show us that under the right set of circumstances, perhaps Death may be bargained with, after all.
Both Hopkins and Pitt do a wonderful job here, as does the lovely young actress, Claire Forlani. The sets are used to great effect, and the more than three-hour length of the movie transpires without one really noticing how much time has elapsed, a mark of an entertaining film. This is a quite thoughtful film, and one that requires a lot of introspection and careful attention. It is not for the faint of heart, and I don't think it will be of particular appeal to younger viewers, who very often are active denial regarding their own mortality and are unlikely to appreciate the thoughtful discussion they would discover here. This is a great movie, and one I would heartily recommend for those filmgoers mature enough to appreciate it. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: You Must Be A Fan Of Hopkins Or Pitt At A Minimum
Review: Director Martin Brest likes to take his time. So if you are not one for sitting through 3 plus hours of film that is contemplative as opposed to action filled, this film is not for you. I am a great admirer of Sir Anthony Hopkins so the time, while an issue, was made more palatable by his constant presence. The same will work for you if either Hopkins or Pitt is a favorite on your list. Brad Pitt also does an admirable job in this remake of the 1934 film, "Death Takes A Holiday". Claire Forlani who plays the daughter of Hopkins in the film is a beautiful women and an actress that should have many strong roles to come, if moviemakers reward her talent. Martin Brest is dealing with major issues that affect us all, and they are not issues to be treated lightly or with dispatch. The interaction of the key players and the issues they confront could have been presented in a 2-hour film, but even those that had trouble with 3 hours would have liked an abbreviated version less. Realizing what the character Joe Black represents is not something that can be absorbed quickly, it needs time to be recognized and then dealt with. The issue is massive; it cannot be portrayed in a moment. The question of whether a person would want to know when they would die is a conundrum that has been thought about by most people at one time or another. Hopkins' character learns his fate and it is not by his choice, what is worse is that the unknown is prolonged as Death decides to sample life rather than just take his next victim and be on his way. The acting range required is immense, and it takes a player with the stature of Hopkins to make the part credible. Brad Pitt has a death bed scene with a woman from the Caribbean who knows who he is, and welcomes the prospect of the end of her suffering even though he is not there to collect her. The dialogue between them was wonderfully done, and it was a sequence of scenes that show the talent that Pitt has.
Rating:
Summary: Emotionally charged!
Review: What a wonderful movie! Despite it's length, this movie is FILLED with a great story, great performances, and tons of emotion! Even though it's such an amazing movie, I could only watch it once because it had me crying my eyes out and I NEVER cry at movies!
Rating:
Summary: Great movie but not everybody's cup of tea
Review: The movie itself's great and it really worth 3 long hours to watch it. Also, it makes u to think about the inner meaning of love, death and life. Anthony Hopkins did play a good job during the 3 hours but disappointingly, Brad could be much better in the part of being Death and I wondered why Death don't know what peanuts butter is. The ending's those of hollywood types and quite apt. However, the fireworks're surprisingly good and I love the coffee shop scene very much....at least Brad has his brain on his head during the scene. He's totally a robot after the first 40 minutes.
In conclusion, the movie's quite good but if the director can edit this movie more convincingly, "meet Joe Black" would sure be one of my best movies.
Rating:
Summary: I was pleasantly surprised, it was a very good movie
Review: I've never seen the original, so I don't have a basis with which to judge this as a remake, which, in hindsight, is probably better, since I didn't give a second thought to "comparing". Having seen it for the movie it is though, I've got to say I enjoyed it, and had no problem staying captivated throughout the 3 hours. And, if I may be honest, there were several moments that brought upon me that old lump-in-the-throat feeling, accompanied by watery eyes, (which can be difficult to induce in your standard 20 year old male, being the sometimes seemingly de-sensitized group that we are). Anyways, rent or buy the movie, sit down with any significant others, and enjoy a good story.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting remake of an old favorite
Review: One of my favorite stories is Death Takes a Holiday, of which I've seen at least two earlier versions over the past decades: one an old black and white film from the 30's occasionally seen on late night TV, and one a made for TV movie staring Monte Markham from the 70s. Meet Joe Black is a more updated remake. I really didn't anticipate enjoying it as much as I did, since I've found most of the remakes produced recently rather a disappointment. I had enjoyed the Monte Markham TV version, which is the first one I'd seen, and I doubted that Brad Pitt, with whose characters I've not been much impressed in the past, would be able to carry off the role. Anthony Hopkins, however, is one of my favorite actors, and I gambled that any movie that had him in the cast would prove to be worth the time even if the rest of the film were a bust. I wasn't wrong. In fact, I was rather impressed with the overall production. The character of the elderly rich man in the TV movie had been less three dimensional, but Hopkins gave him a depth that made the movie work. His relationship with Death, Brad Pitt, was much more enlightening. It gave the person of Death room for education and personal growth, which the original movie and the TV special had not done. In the latter, Death simply appears as a finished character with a job, who sets aside his agenda to see how the "other half" lives. Although you like him, Markham's Death doesn't develop as he comes to understand what it means to humans to "be alive." He comes, he sees, he goes. The dynamics between Joe Black and the humans he meets is much more defining. He begins as a grumpy, rude, arrogant creature with almost no social graces and no sense of humor, and gradually becomes a "person." In fact he becomes the hero, helping others to realize their inner strength and to put the bad guy in his place. He also has some delightful one liners that go right by most of the other characters but that amuse his mentor Hopkins no end. I did found the pacing of the film a little annoying, however. The pauses, intended one supposes to be "pregnant with meaning," were in fact just time consuming. While the first one seemed purposeful, those succeeding it seemed contrived. Sort of "did you get the real meaning of this scene?" Or perhaps, "Film can be great art. See how very artistic I can be?" As it seems to have failed with audiences at the box office, one can't help but feel that it might have benefitted from a more ruthless editor! Still worth seeing.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly great movie
Review: I will say it up front. I am a Brad Pitt fanatic. Ever since his performance in Kalifornia, I've looked forward the the way he explores and develops a character, sometimes adding very dark undertones that make you think. He does not go for easy solutions.
I hesitated seeing Meet Joe Black because of the awful reviews it got, but I have found that with Brad Pitt movies, ignore the critics. And in this case, they are once again wrong.
No one wants to think of death, let alone their own, and in watching this movie, you are forced to. The issues of letting go, of tidying things up, of being given the chance to do all of that, are raised, as is the very nature of death it/himself. Those who it comes for, and who are ready, see it and welcome it. Those who are not looking for it do not see it coming.
My teenage daughter and I have watched the movie three times, and enjoy it each time.
I think everyone, Pitt fan or not, should see this film. You will laugh, cry, and come away with a lot to think about. The acting by all involved is superb, and the story is allowed to develop without a lot of fanfare and arrows pointing to guide the way. See it!!!
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