Meet Joe Black (5 Stars)

This is an unusual film. It's a supernatural film that's moving and emotional. Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt are perfectly matched in their respective roles.

The media tycoon Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) has a heart attack shortly before his 65th birthday. Death (personified) speaks to him and tells him that it's his time to die, but he'll give him a few extra days if Bill will do him a favour. Death has been watching the Earth for thousands of years, but he wants to walk the Earth as a man and have Bill show him around. He occupies the body of a young man (Brad Pitt) who's just died. He enters Bill's life, living in his home and attending his board meetings, which puzzles everyone around Bill.

But more happens. Death (whom Bill has spontaneously named Joe Black) falls in love with Bill's daughter Susan. It's mutual. Bill is horrified, because he doesn't see how this relationship can possibly succeed.

The film is serious, but it has many comic episodes resulting from Death's naivety in living as a human being. As the film progresses there are repeated clashes between the two men. Death is all-powerful and expects to be obeyed, but Bill is a business executive who is also used to having his wishes followed.

This is a beautiful film, made more intense by the deliberate, slow pacing. It's been criticised for being too long, almost three hours, but that's not too much. "A good film is never too long, a bad film is never too short". This is an excellent film, and I wouldn't have complained if it had lasted an extra hour.

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