K-PAX (2001)

If you enjoy a well acted, stylishly directed & photographed movie, with a story-line that leaves you high and dry, then K-PAX could fill all these categories. Just don't expect any conclusive explanations for what's happening – it's all ambiguous, even at times frustrating. British born Director Lain Softly and his British born director of photography John Mathieson, work extremely well with their excellent performers: Kevin Spacey as a 'possible' visitor from another planet & Jeff Bridges as the doctor committed to finding out if he's just another psychologically messed up earthling. Composer Ed Shearmur keeps the music sparkling along with the visuals.Problem is, the original story is totally inconclusive. While it forces us to examine some important human failings it will leave some unfulfilled in overall story elements. Screenplay writer Charles Leavitt, who worked so well on "The Mighty" in '98, tries hard to involve the viewer but the original story leaves him with no hope of any closure. Many situations are familiar from several other movies and interestingly, director Eliseo Subiela sued the writer (Gene Brewer) and filmmakers of K-PAX for Plagiarism because of similarities to his "Man Facing Southeast" from 1986. Many will enjoy this one but those wanting a solid end may be disappointed.It's never boring but with so much unexplained - sort of seems to end up as if it's not particularly going anywhere.

A derelict man is lifted by the police after an incident in a train station. He subsequently insists his name is Prot and he is from a planet called K-PAX, so he is taken to a mental hospital to be analysed, while there he helps everyone he encounters see the light.This is a clear example of a movie that uses its sci-fi premise to tell us things about ourselves. It's a bit of a clichéd idea and in this case it is done in an excessively syrupy and patronising manner. Kevin Spacey is possibly the most annoying alien to ever have visited Earth; he manages to navigate the entire running time of the movie with a smug, self-satisfied, look on his face. Predictably, he turns out to be an extra-terrestrial who knows humans better than humans, while the inmates of the asylum know more about what's really going on than the doctors, etc etc etc. It's all very tedious and trite. So much so that I was sort of hoping the doctors would re-introduce electro-shock therapy for Prot and his fellow inmates. Additionally, this is a movie with a relentlessly delicate piano-driven soundtrack that started to grate on me after a bit on account of its overbearing worthiness.K-PAX is certainly watchable and has a premise that is pretty decent but it is executed in a manner that undermines its potential effectiveness. It also stars Jeff Bridges as a psychiatrist who needs an alien make him aware that he should spend more time with his son.

I am into many science fiction movies with all the aliens and humans fighting to win wars and all. But this one is totally different. Kevin Spacey is the man! He played the role at ease to guess his moves almost each and every second. The movie may seem to end but it has some open ended questions about the real prot, the missing patient and the sudden loss of consciousness near the end.If you think deeply, you will have the answer. I don't want to reveal more about this. Just go and watch! This is an entirely different science fiction.

I've always admired Kevin Spacey, and Jeff Bridges is naturally respected. I didn't really know what to expect; was it similar to The Truman show where it seems like it should be really good but I don't know how I feel. The writing is intelligent in that many lines in intense moments make sense and is sometimes so much to take in that it's shocking. However there are other times where the dialogue seems to be too much creating an overstatement on the dramatic effect. This movie seems to have two types of scenes: Dramatic and over dramatic. I also felt like at the beginning, I had to decide if he was or was not really from this planet he says he is from. The good scenes outweigh the bad and all in all I still believe its a film of merit when looking at both Spacey and Bridges' filmography.