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29 out of 31 people found the following comment useful :- a gem of a film, 25 November 2000 Author: ttor from st louis, missouri usa
This movie is an original - a gem. Fifteen minutes after it was over I began weeping - I was so touched. It is never too late. One can lead a rotten life, but there is always hope - even in the strangest of times - to find love and to become a person worthy of being loved in return. To provide more details would undermine the movie's original theme. Indeed, the description on this web page is not at all what the film is really about. I don't know why the ratings aren't higher. Perhaps the movie is lost on impatient souls who need lots of action to keep their attention intact.
25 out of 30 people found the following comment useful :- One of my favorites -- here's why, 21 May 2004 Author: C Gosh (gosh@mailinator.com) from Near Detroit, Michigan
I see that opinions for Lulu are either 'I loved it' or 'I hated it.' There's a good reason. This is a very different film, with spiritual and other-worldly overtones -- it's definitely spooky. I could not have imagined where the story finally ended up, but it requires a lot of imagination to understand it (think, "Where does the mind go when it loses consciousness? And, what is the real meaning of 'time'?"). If you don't like it, that's fine -- maybe you just don't get it. Nothing wrong with that -- it's pretty deep. But for me, it's a form of pure entertainment that I cannot find anywhere else. I loved it. I bought a copy on DVD. I tell my friends about it. The ending is a definite surprise, but there are lots of other surprises throughout. Why not find out for yourself?
15 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :- Actually, Kind Of Neutral On This Strange Film, 19 May 2006 Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States
This is mainly a two-actor film with Harvey Keitel playing a low-key (at least for him!) character and Mia Sorvino playing his young girlfriend. They dominate the story. In an odd way, this is an interesting film although a bit "soapy" in parts for my tastes. It has a bit of a mystifying element with this strange stone as part of the story, yet they don't elaborate on it. Actually, this is more of a romance story....but at leaves a number of questions. One doesn't quite figure out Willem Dafoe's character is in here and the ending was very strange and not altogether satisfying, either. Perhaps another look or two would have been a better option before writing this. I haven't read any reviews but I suspect people really got into this film and liked it or were bored to death. Actually, I was somewhere in the middle. I was more interested in the cinematography. Note: "Lulu" is named for a character played by silent screen star Louise Brooks.
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :- Remarkably disturbing film with a terrible title!!.., 16 March 2001 Author: hrlaser from So. Calif.
I caught this film on HBO and it was really quite a remarkable experience. I had never heard of it before, and checking the "External Reviews" Link, I'm surprised so little of the mass critic media never reviewed it, such as Roger Ebert.The title of this film is completely deceptive.. you'd think it's a kiddie film.. trust me, it's anything but. It has NOTHING to do with "Little LuLu" or kids for that matter.This is a deeply disturbing, involving, dark, mysterious mystery/romance/thriller with some fantasy elements, but totally without glitz or pretension, beautifully filmed and acted, with a twist ending right out of Ambrose Bierce. Saying any more about the plot would spoil it, so that's all you get out of me..I will say this.. if you enjoyed "Jacobs Ladder" you'll like this one. Even more so, if the title "Occurance At Owl Creek Bridge" means anything to you, then you'll know what I'm talking about.As to the two leads: Mira Sorvino is absolutely stunningly beautiful and radiant and you simply can NOT take your eyes off her.. she goes through a myriad of hairstyles and styles of clothing, everything from bed-wear (lingerie), to around-town casual, to elaborate film costuming (she acts in a film towards the end of _this_ film), and she is totally convincing, believable, and riveting.Harvey Keitel delivers an absolutely gut-wrenching performance - as good as anything I've ever seen him do.. considering the emotions required of his character, and what he's put through, he too is totally convincing and riveting. Here you have a pair of leads who spend a LOT of on-screen time together in a VERY complicated and mysterious relationship and they meld with each other almost perfectly.The supporting cast is also excellent. Willem DaFoe does fine work in one of his dark, sinister trademark characters. The other big-name actors, including a cameo by Lou Reed as "Not Lou Reed" are solid as you could want.This is an engrossing, engaging, adult film that for some reason, the critics almost completely ignored. Why? If you sit down to watch it, watch it from end to end without interruptions.. you will be drawn into it, and involved and aborbed in it and when it ends, quite unexpectedly, you'll be left with some very interesting emotions. If only they had given it a more suitable title..9 out of 10 on a scale of 10.
6 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :- Really excellent, captivating movie, makes you think and feel, 5 November 2005 Author: frog-64 from United States
I got in one hour after it had started. It starred Harvey Keitel, whom I especially like and wanted to watch it because of him. Then Wilem DaFoe was there also, second reason to continue watching. Then, again, Mandy Patikin, number three great actor. I liked the character Harvey was playing, a soft spoken, quiet man, much different than many of his other characters. It was more like his character in 'The Piano'. I was pulled in and couldn't stop watching. I didn't know what had come before, so couldn't completely understand it, but just had to keep watching. As in a mystery, I thought I knew what was going on and I knew I had to see the entire movie at that point. It's more like a play than a movie, and excellently done. Great cinematography. Great suspense. Stunning finish. Really made me think and feel deeply.
7 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :- A nice little sleeper of a movie, 3 April 2000 Author: tom sims (tomsims1) from USA
I didn't know what to expect before viewing this film. Certainly the title gave no clues and was a bit of a turn-off. However, right from the start I found the story to be interesting. It had a lot of twists and turns that kept my interest throughout. It is one of those pictures that you are better not knowing anything, so I won't reveal any of the plot. Suffice to say this script made for enjoyable watching and I am surprised that other viewers did not rate it as highly as I did.
3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :- Multi-layered masterpiece, 10 November 2000 Author: deedee2005 from San Francisco
I saw this little gem of a film last year, forgot about it, then decided to buy it. On a second viewing I realized how much I missed the first time around. The scientific/mythical/mystical/spiritual interpretations are left up to the individual, and I found myself leaning toward the mystical/spiritual, especially when the film-within-a-film (Pandora's Box) entered the plot. While some might have felt this whole episode was irrelevant, to me it was central in a kind of a skewed way that wasn't really developed. Anyone familiar with the myth of Pandora's Box will recognize the significance of the "rock in the box" that causes lives to change in a dramatic, profound way. Izzy's state of consciousness during the film is simply a device -an interesting one- to tell a story.Seeing Dafoe and Keitel working together again (first time since Last Temptation of Christ?) was a delight. Both are capable of a tremendous range, but chose restraint in this film, and it worked. The interogation scenes in the warehouse were mesmerizing. I love this film!
4 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :- Worked for Me, 14 July 2008 Author: tedg (tedg@FilmsFolded.com) from Virginia Beach
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
Here's a movie that has a Zero Rating at Rotten Tomatoes. It has some tremendously bad acting. The story ends in a way that most viewers seem cheated. Its poorly edited and photographed. But it still worked for me because the idea is so clever that I happily make the leap, completing the movie.Here's the general shape: man is shot and lays dying. He has a vision of girl who he falls in love with, a magical stone causes this. (This is a piece of plaster that falls on him when he is shot.) Its a sweet love story and the magical nature is apt for a movie about an inner movie.But there are two complications that help. One is that our hero is captured and quizzed. Some dreary writing and the roughest parts of the film are associated with this bit. Its the second complication that has a special sparkle. Our girl is an out of work actress who — again magically — gets the starring role as Lulu in a remake of "Pandora's Box." This is perhaps the most sexually charged film of all time: a perfect confluence of actress, svengali filmmaker and the cinematic properties of silent film-making. Its a rather clever fold, yeah? A film about an inner film of love that both references and includes a landmark film. Its being made in Joyce's Dublin by a character played by Vanessa Redgrave.More: our guy is particularly fond of "Singing in the Rain."The fact that the girl in this case is profoundly unsexy and unappealing in most ways deepens the notion for me.It works, if you let it.Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
4 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :- It is only at the film's end that the discerning viewer understands what has really transpired., 9 November 2005 Author: wfrost from United States
Like many of New York City waitresses, Celia Burns is an aspiring actress. Izzy Maurer, a jazz saxophonist recovering from a gunshot wound, contacts her after finding her name along with a stone having magical properties, one of which propels them into a love affair. Through her talent, and friends of Izzy's ex-wife, Celia is able to land the part of Lulu, one which most actresses could only dream of. Izzy is held captive and Celia chased by a mysterious man claiming to have a doctorate in anthropology who wants the magical stone. It is only at the film's end that the discerning viewer understands what has really transpired. The all star cast does not disappoint.
1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :- a stone is not enough..., 27 March 2008 Author: jahjag from Germany
...even if it's mystic. if you always have to find a moral or a message in a movie, you may find this one in here. but this not what makes this movie fantastic. for me this is the quiet tone, the realistic unrealistic (dream)world, the metaphors, the profound humor and the actors. the cast of character is great: Harvey Keitel, Mira Sorvino, Gina Gershon, Sophie Auster, Vanessa Redgrave, Willem Dafoe & Lou Reed (as not Lou reed;). exspecially Harvey keitel & Mira Sorvino are 'extraordinary' good. the movie refers to Frank Wedekinds drama 'Die Büchse der Pandora' which the man from Izzy's ex wife wants to film new with the title: lulu on the bridge. as auster names his movie the same way, you can hint that he indirectly refers to that drama to. but you can enjoy the film without knowing the drama. like any other stuff from auster the movie works on more than one level. there's the dream that pretends to be reality - by the way: there's no reality in movies, it's always fiction, even if it pretends to be realistic or/and authentic. auster is playing with this 'knowledge'. so the unrealistic breaks into realty, to show you: hey, this is fiction, enjoy it. besides that the movie of course tells a story about the L word, bittersweet. i don't think that the plot is confusing, in my opinion it is quiet simple, if you learn from auster to watch behind the things and see the obviously hidden.the plot (SPOILER!) - of course simplified:jazz musician Izzy gets shot on a concert. as the result of this he can no longer play his instrument, his career is over. he's hiding in his flat, not answering the phone. so his ex wife, that don't love him anymore, but still cares about him, shows up, to bring him back to life. after spending a evening dinner with her new family, on his way home, he finds a dead man in a back street. he takes the bag that lies beneath the man. there he finds two things, a phone number and a weird stone. in the night the stone is glowing blue (a naughty little beggar who things of austers earlier movies smoke/blue in the face;). next day he calls the number he had found. it belongs to Celia, a fan of Izzy's music. she invites him to her apartment. when he arrives there, Izzy gets very angry & wants an explanation from her about the stone. of course she has none. then they both touch the stone and feeling better after wards (mhm...what the stone might be standing for?). so the story goes, they fall in love. Celia wants to be an actress, but is not very successful yet. she tells him about an upcoming audition she's going to have for a movie: lulu on the bridge (see above). as Izzy knows the producer & the director, he helps her to get the job. Celia leaves to Ireland, where the movie is shot. Izzy wants to sell his flat & then follow her to Ireland. but before that happens, he get caught by some evil looking men, that want the mystique stone (surprise, surprise). they lock Izzy into an empty hall & and a guy named Dr. Van Horn (the names of the characters are awesome chosen) question him about his life (so we learn more about Izzy's past & what a man he has been). the doctor knows more about Izzy than Izzy himself, even things that Izzy pretend to forget (so we see that this is not reality, but a dream). in the meantime Celia is very upset, because she don't know what had happened to Izzy. she things he might not love her any more. then one night she throws the stone into a river (...maybe because a stone is not enough to remember a beloved person...even if it's mystic - the stone & the person). later on the evil men finally found out about Celia & chasing her to the bridge where she has thrown the stone into the river, now she's throwing herself after... not the end.if you think this is a sad story, don't forget, it's just a movie, it never really happened. and if that makes you sad, you may watch a funny movie to cheer you up or better, simply fall in love. or you can search for weird looking stones. and if anybody you like asks you: what's that? you can answer: a blue glowing stone. and if the person then asks: what can it do? you can say: glowing blue of course. and we can touch it & feeling much better after wards......as you may have recognized, I like the movie, so watch it, if you get the chance!
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