It only took about two scenes before I knew I was in real trouble watching MEET JOE BLACK. The movie opens introducing us to Anthony Hopkins as William Parrish. He's rich and powerful and approaching his 65th birthday. We then meet his daughters, Allison and Susan. The story follows Susan into New York City where she meets Brad Pitt in a coffee shop. They are instantly attracted to each other, a fact that is shown wonderfully as they reluctantly walk away from each other, turning back with longing to see if the other is looking. So far so good.
Then comes the most ridiculous death scene outside a Monty Python movie. Brad is hit by two or three cars, hurled through the air like something from a flying trapese. The moment is ridiculously and absurdly comic. Something film makers obviously knew, since they go to some 6 seconds of black to allow for the laughter to die down.
It seems that the grim reaper needed Brad's body as a plot device to allow him to experience life on earth. So we meet Brad again in a few minutes, but now he has come to take Hopkins to the afterlife. But not of course, before he tastes life and woos the wench.
Now you have to know from this utter nonsence that you're in deep trouble. And sure enough you are. The next 3 hours are going to be the longest in your filmgoing history second only in boredom and sheer frustration to the time you spent in front of Titanic.
If "Meet Joe Black" has a point I missed it. The movie seems to spend all it's energy idolizing Brad Pitt. Not that he's unattractive, but you know, he adores himself so much he barely needs my admiration as well.
But to my horror, as this film was winding up and the guy finally dies, I actually heard sniveling coming from my fellow viewers. I made a quick search for the Candid Camera crew to see if this was some kind of practical joke, but no, people around me were actually engaged in this movie.
For me, "Meet Joe Black" was three hours of slow torture. You know you are in a really dreadful film when every single vertibrae in your backbone ached individually and collectively. The story is stupid, Brad Pitt is inane and even Anthony Hopkins starts to grate on the nerves when he launches into his third or fourth sermon. And I hate the treatment of the daughters, who are both only real when reflected from their father's gaze. Watch "Titanic" backwards before you even think of putting yourself through the misery of Joe Black.