This modern fantasy stars Anthony Hopkins as William Parrish, a wealthy New York City media mogul who suffers a heart attack on the eve of his 65th birthday; although he survives, he senses that his own death is near. On the same day, Parrish's younger daughter, Susan, (Claire Forlani), meets a handsome young stranger (Brad Pitt) at a neighboring coffee shop and is instantly smitten. As they part, the young stranger is killed and his body is instantly occupied by Death, who is coming to Earth to warn Parrish that his death is, indeed, imminent. Death enters the Parrish household disguised as Joe Black, the handsome stranger, and although Parrish realizes Death's intentions he lets the family believe that Joe Black is a young business associate. Susan is shocked to find the familiar young man at her family dinner that evening and is instantly overwhelmed with desire. As she begins a passionate love affair with the debonaire stranger, she has no idea that she is no longer falling for the young stranger from the coffee shop but for Death himself. In an effort to prolong his life and his daughter's happiness, William agrees to take Joe on a tour of human life that includes board meetings, family parties, and, ultimately, romance. As long as Joe falls in love, Parrish remains alive. This version was inspired by the Alberto Casella play DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY and the subsequent 1934 film.
Meet Joe Black, and then say good-bye to him. Like an oddity you would meet at a friend's party, Joe Black is the sort of guy that reminds you of the person who sits in the corner for the duration of the party and says nothing not because he's shy but because he just isn't interesting. Ditto for this character study? Notice the question mark. 180 minutes of mumbling, meandering and dull facial expressions are inexcusable from a director, Maritn Brest, who has been responsible for film gems such as 'Going in Style', 'Beverly Hills Cop' and 'Scent of a Woman'. Talented in every sense of the word, Brest makes his films technically flat and academically exciting as his characters always stand out and Brest's sub text isn't always challenging but his films are usually captivating and always entertaining. What's more shocking is how a pair of actors like Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt can read a script and not use the chef's line...."It needs more flavouring!" In the dictionary under "bland", you will see a description of this movie. The most disappointing thing about this movie is that its last half hour is great and I don't understand why the same technique wasn't applied to the rest of the film.
