Where Is The Sting?

I just rewatched Meet Joe Black. The expensive film was a critical and financial flop back in 1998 (though Brad Pitt's popularity overseas softened the blow somewhat). The film fascinates me. I wallow in its flopitude.

The plot is an update of Death Takes A Holiday. Brad Pitt plays Death, who's come for rich businessman Anthony Hopkins, but holds off for a while to learn about life.

He insinuates himself into Hopkins' life, helping out with business and romancing his daughter. The simple story might seem long at 90 minutes, but director Martin Brest stretches it to three hours.

That's the part that gets me. Every scene is done slowly, as if the film were shot underwater. Exchanges of dialogue go on forever, though the information could be expressed in a few lines. And in-between, there are long, meaningless pauses.

I assume Brest was trying to achieve some sort of hypnotic pace, but it just plays bizarre, when it's not boring.

Claire Forlani is sort of cute as the love interest. I'm not sure why she didn't make it bigger.