Meet Joe Black
April 18, 2008
What is death? Is it an abstract thing that just happens when our life is over? Is death a dark angel that waits over us and chooses when our end will come? Is it the grim reaper, waiting in the corner with a scythe it’s hand? It’s one of those questions like “What happens to us when we die?” No one has ever came back to tell us, so we have to wait and see for ourselves.
In the film Meet Joe Black, we have an answer. Death is personified as a curious man who wants to learn about human life. He chooses a successful business man named William Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) to be his guide. Approaching his 65thbirthday Parrish had been hearing strange voices ever since suffering a heart attack. The voice is almost mocking him. It repeats the advice he gave to his young daughter Susan (Claire Forlani) about being open to find true love. He tells her to be mindful and open because “lightening may strike.”
Later that day Susan, a doctor of internal medicine stops at a coffee shop for a bite to eat. While there she meets Brad Pitt’s character they instantly realize they have amazing chemistry. At the end of their lunch they even admit they both like each other “so much” - but they party ways. A chance encounter, a moment in time – for Susan, it was lightening striking. As Susan walks out of sight and turns the corner, he is hit by a car and killed.
Later that night we are back with William Parrish and he is having a dinner party with his family. He starts to hear the voices again and is told “I’m waiting at the front door.” He asks one of his cooks to check the front door, and sure enough there is a man there waiting for him. He has the cook show him into his den where he waits.
Parrish excuses himself from dinner and goes and meet’s death. Death tells Parrish he wants him to show him the ropes. He wants to experience life the way only Parrish could show. He is taken back by this request, but he soon learns this is not optional. He must accommodate death’s request or their time together would end, and Parrish’s life would end as well. As long as Death was happy, Parrish would be stay alive.
Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins are brilliant on screen together. This 178 movie is very slowly paced which allows to learn much about the characters. An marvelous un-credited character is the music in the film. Award winning film composer Thomas Newman does a magnificent job scoring this movie. He gives the film a sense of darkness this movie richly needs to help the eeriness of the story come alive.
The climatic ending of the movie works perfectly, don’t listen to any critic who says the movie takes too long to finish. Nonsense. It’s a journey you will be glad you took and be thankful for when it’s over. Meet Joe Black get’s four out of four stars.
