Taken from a 1920s play, "Death Takes a Holiday," the concept of "Death" (as if it is an entity) taking human form so that it/he can find out why life is preferred over death is an interesting one. This modern version is much richer than the 1934 movie with Frederic March. This was the first movie where I discovered that Brad Pitt really can act. The living character he plays in the beginning is the sort of character he always plays... kinda goofy, getting by on his good looks. But when he reappears as Death, his movements, posture and language are completely transformed; his speech patterns and enunciation are calm, controlled and powerful; his eyes are sharp and focused. There is no doubt that a different "soul" is in that body. The pauses before he speaks, as he evaluates the question before dispensing a one-word answer, are brilliant. The first time he tastes peanut butter; the moments when Susan brushes up close to him; I thought he did an exquisite interpretation of someone experiencing sensations for the first time. What I enjoyed most about this movie is that, when Death decides to gain a deeper understanding of Life, he carefully chooses a person of exceptional character to show him around. Even though most of the time Death is just taking it all in, every now and then, when Anthony Hopkins's character challenges him, Death snaps back to remind William who is in charge. Pitt did an amazing job. Marcia Gay Harden and Jeffrey Tambor were wonderful, and it goes without say that Anthony Hopkins is brilliant. The story is very rewarding and will leave you with a good feeling.
Review of Meet Joe Black
