This film is absolutely outstanding. Forget the reviews of the critics who seem to love bashing films, this is a tremendous, epic film with such a great heart that explores the values and meaning of humanity and life in general. I saw it for the first time in ages today and its still as touching as the first time I saw it a few years ago. In fact I remember it being shown on a plane I was on the year it came out and I watched the first 5 minutes on a screen with poor picture and sound and remember thinking it was just cheesy family comedy which just plays for humor and nothing else. When I first saw it a few years later when there was nothing else on I was completely blown away by it. It was the complete opposite of what I was thought it was originally. This film does have its humor and that humor is often hilarious in parts, but thats because its delivered so brilliantly by Williams who plays his character to perfection. More importantly it is not supposed to be a comedy. Its a drama and features brilliant performances from an underrated cast including Williams, Sam Neill, Embeth Davditz and Oliver Platt among others.
The film is also outstanding from a technical perspective. The futuristic cities, buildings and vehicles look fabulous along with the new household appliances, but the most important thing that really steals the show is the Script and Direction from Kazan and Columbus respectively. I will certainly be watching more of Kazan's films in the future and already thought he did a great job on Matilda beforehand. I've always been an admirer of Columbus and this has to be his best film to date. His vision of the film is splendid and I applaud him for bringing such a brilliant set of actors and sets together to make such an epic and unforgettable film.
For most of my reviews for films, I don't like commenting too much on the plot, but here I feel the need to because it touched me so much and the plot helps explain why this happened. It is about a Robot that over 200 years, learns about humanity and seeks to be a part of it. At the beginning its more of a comedy as the robot (who's called Andrew) gets used to the way humans are and learns about simple well known things in life i.e Laughter, Sex, Family Life and Change.
But further on as he becomes close to the youngest in the family, he learns more about love and how life is. I sympathised with him as he has to witness this and we follow him as he experiences the deaths of the people closest to him. I felt for him due to him being unable to experience these things like we do. Throughout the film I felt (although the critics certainly didn't and many here probably don't) all these things and became closer and closer to him as he constantly never gives up hope on becoming a human. I found it very emotional and I actually appreciated many of my abilities that I as a human have. To love, to cry, to experience changes, to reproduce, watch my children to grow up, to get older and to eventually move onto another life. As Andrew learns about all these things and begins to want them I really did feel for him like I say because I would find it incredibly hard to live if I was like that.
SPOILER Having witnessed the ups and downs of Andrew's life throughout the film and his epic journey to finally become a human being, by the end of the film Andrew has managed to fully achieve this. He is fully human and unfortunately misses this declaration by a few seconds. But he didn't need to like his lover Porscha (His closest family member's granddaughter) says. He has done it. He has found the love he's wanted all those many years with her and he won't have to experience the sadness of watching things change ever again. He has moved onto another life like we're all destined to do and Porscha decides to join him. END OF SPOILER
Basically, after seeing this film I did learn just how lucky I am to possess all these extraordinary and unique abilities and I don't believe it is just an accident or coincidence. We each have a destiny and I believe God wants us all to experience these things in life and I'm grateful to be here today and will certainly not be taking any of them for granted.
I really think that that this film with a rating of just 6.1 and with the harsh and very unfair criticism its got from critics has to be the most underrated misunderstood film ever made. The film is not really in my opinion a family comedy although it unfortunately has been marketed that way. Its a drama about humanity with bits of comedy that should be watched by anyone of any age. I believe it can help people to become, like me, much more grateful for things we as humans perhaps take for granted in life.
I thank you for reading this review and advise you to watch this film and prepare to be moved in a way I don't think any film has done or ever could do.
10/10 Not my favourite film of all time but certainly in my Top 5. Stunning.
The film is also outstanding from a technical perspective. The futuristic cities, buildings and vehicles look fabulous along with the new household appliances, but the most important thing that really steals the show is the Script and Direction from Kazan and Columbus respectively. I will certainly be watching more of Kazan's films in the future and already thought he did a great job on Matilda beforehand. I've always been an admirer of Columbus and this has to be his best film to date. His vision of the film is splendid and I applaud him for bringing such a brilliant set of actors and sets together to make such an epic and unforgettable film.
For most of my reviews for films, I don't like commenting too much on the plot, but here I feel the need to because it touched me so much and the plot helps explain why this happened. It is about a Robot that over 200 years, learns about humanity and seeks to be a part of it. At the beginning its more of a comedy as the robot (who's called Andrew) gets used to the way humans are and learns about simple well known things in life i.e Laughter, Sex, Family Life and Change.
But further on as he becomes close to the youngest in the family, he learns more about love and how life is. I sympathised with him as he has to witness this and we follow him as he experiences the deaths of the people closest to him. I felt for him due to him being unable to experience these things like we do. Throughout the film I felt (although the critics certainly didn't and many here probably don't) all these things and became closer and closer to him as he constantly never gives up hope on becoming a human. I found it very emotional and I actually appreciated many of my abilities that I as a human have. To love, to cry, to experience changes, to reproduce, watch my children to grow up, to get older and to eventually move onto another life. As Andrew learns about all these things and begins to want them I really did feel for him like I say because I would find it incredibly hard to live if I was like that.
SPOILER Having witnessed the ups and downs of Andrew's life throughout the film and his epic journey to finally become a human being, by the end of the film Andrew has managed to fully achieve this. He is fully human and unfortunately misses this declaration by a few seconds. But he didn't need to like his lover Porscha (His closest family member's granddaughter) says. He has done it. He has found the love he's wanted all those many years with her and he won't have to experience the sadness of watching things change ever again. He has moved onto another life like we're all destined to do and Porscha decides to join him. END OF SPOILER
Basically, after seeing this film I did learn just how lucky I am to possess all these extraordinary and unique abilities and I don't believe it is just an accident or coincidence. We each have a destiny and I believe God wants us all to experience these things in life and I'm grateful to be here today and will certainly not be taking any of them for granted.
I really think that that this film with a rating of just 6.1 and with the harsh and very unfair criticism its got from critics has to be the most underrated misunderstood film ever made. The film is not really in my opinion a family comedy although it unfortunately has been marketed that way. Its a drama about humanity with bits of comedy that should be watched by anyone of any age. I believe it can help people to become, like me, much more grateful for things we as humans perhaps take for granted in life.
I thank you for reading this review and advise you to watch this film and prepare to be moved in a way I don't think any film has done or ever could do.
10/10 Not my favourite film of all time but certainly in my Top 5. Stunning.