Reviews (6)

Warning-this is NOT a period piece
The Anderson Tapes is an example of what director Sidney Lumet is capable of creating: an entertaining yet somehow thoughtful film. This was the movie that actually made me appreciate Sean Connery. In the Bond films he was doomed to be typecast. Sidney Lumet bailed him out and Connery owes him big time. Great setup and cameos: including an underrated scene with the great Garret Morris as a limber police officer, who would go on to become one of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players on Saturday Night Live just a few years later (along with Belushi, Chase, Radner, etc.). Christopher Walken looks like a baby in this one and Martin Balsam is pretty funny. Nice flash forward scenes make it seem like it can never be a dated film. Chilling last scene makes the film and a point about our technological age.

Interesting Setup and Promise: Does Not Deliver
"The Anderson Tapes" could have been a much better movie. From reading the back of the box in the rental store and the promise of the all-star cast, I really thought I would enjoy this film more than I did. The interesting story about a crime that is allowed to escalate despite the government's complete knowledge (due to the entanglements of government agencies and the monitoring) could have made for a great film. But the pace of the film and the poor script really drag the whole project down. In fact, I see that they are planning on remaking the film in 2005. I will be interested to see what they decide to do to the film.

The pace of Sidney Lumet's film is quite slow and the acting is sub-par. Despite the fact that the film introduces a young Christopher Walken, he hardly speaks at all (which, in my opinion, is the whole reason you want Walken on the screen in the first place). The ending is quite spectacular and unique, which makes up for some of the film that comes before it. Also, I really enjoyed the way the director shot the film out of sequence, splicing the actual events with later footage of police interviews. We keep seeing body bags moving in the background, but we have no idea who is in them. I really enjoyed this technique and it helped to hold my interest.

I imagine that if the remake gets produced that everyone will flock to see the original. But in this case, and I say this very rarely, I hope and believe that the new version will be better. Hopefully, it will follow the monitoring/tapes/government angle of the story and not forget about the intrigue it can add to the plot.

Excellent movie.
Great flick. Fast paced armed robbery thriller driven by an ultra funky Quincy Jones soundtrack. Excellent direction, and an all star cast make this movie a great choice. I believe this was even Christopher Walken's first film. Sidney Lumet's style is unmatched as the fast paced editing follows the excellent soundtrack. Onoe of the best films ever made in my opinion.

Tape Measure
The Anderson Tapes conspicuously mentioned in this film's title are very peripheral to the film's plot. Instead we have a brilliant 'caper film' set in a New York City townhouse in early 1971. The images are still memorable of a balding Sean Connery as the leader and brains behind the heist. And who can forget that stoic and peculiar looking member of Connery's team, Christopher Walken in his first film. What an impression he made. This film still looks current even today. This is a real suspenseful film full of great characterizations. A good one!

Tape Worm
Sean Connery turns in an excellent and memorable performance in this excellent thriller competently acted, well scripted and neatly directed about a heist where everything is not what it appears to be. This film is full of great characters and suspense. Quincy Jones composed a great score. Look for Christopher Walken's distinctive face in his film debut. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. ... Read more

Description

approx. 116 mins. col. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A five - if you're watching for Christopher Walken..........
Not a great film - good ideas, but it should either have either been expanded or stripped down to a BBC TV play. Joss Ackland and Ronny Cox both give the expected quality performances as the misguided scientist and the terminal cancer patient who is given ecstasy (with a small e) as the way out of personality problems. But the reason you'll buy this DVD is the young Christopher Walken. ... Combine this performance with that in the Anderson Tapes and it is easy to see why he could have been up for Han Solo or the lead in Love Story. Charisma, intelligence, phwoaar and acting ability. He makes it all look so easy......... ... Read more

Description

Private James Reese ("Pulp Fiction's" Christopher Walken), a misfit G.I. station in Western Europe, has landed in the stockade more than once thanks to his violent temper, and even his girlfriend asks him to seek psychiatric help. Unexpectedly, Reese is driven to a secluded country mansion, a hospital-like facility with few patients or staff members. Without explanation he's assigned to a room with Miles ("Deliverance's" Ronny Cox), a young American suffering from terminal cancer and bouts of aggressive, violent behavior. Slowly Reese uncovers the horrifying truth involving medical experimentation, with humans used as guinea pigs in brain control research. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

STARING BLANKLY AT THE SCREEN.
There is a scene towards the long and tedious movie A Business Affair where the character Vanni Corso (played by the often stylish Christopher Walken) is seated with his Italian mother at the dinner table, and for a minute or so he stares blankly at the camera. One senses Walken has had enough of this piece of romantic schlock by now, enough of a meandering and befuddled script, enough of Carole Bouqet's weak attempt at a French accent. No doubt the Video/DVD cover will pitch a different caper, may even describe this tripe as "comedy", but I fail to see the comedy after having paid [money] in a second hand store for the DVD version. I knew in my heart why this was only [money], and yet, I am a sucker for a bargain, and wanted to be consoled by the store attendant ("Christopher Walken looks so young!") when I knew I had bought a lemon. There is nothing funny, nothing at all that warrants the association with any "feminist" viewpoint, and not even a decent soundtrack (spare me the French accordian music please). I fear that if that was my last [monry] and I may be eating the video cover this came in, scribbling over the title and hocking the DVD as a blank CD-R. Stare blankly, longingly at this one, but don't stare for too long at your purchase, or you will regret and be forced to find another buyer like I am doing now.

superb direction
The story line of this movie has been described by other reviewers, so I'll just say that it is one of my favorites. The acting is first-rate: English actor Jonathan Pryce always turns in a creditable performance, and Carole Bouquet, as the main character, more than carries her share of the plot. Christopher Walken is not to be missed; he plays the comedic nature of his character to the hilt. What is amazing is the way director Charlotte Bronestrom manages to balance perfectly comedy and tragedy, to play off the serious message underlying the plot with the absurdity of human behavior. She doesn't miss a beat and gives us a film that is funny and sad, frivolous and serious at the same time--much like life itself.

AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER...
This is a marvelous movie with wonderful performances by Christopher Walken, Jonathan Pryce, and the exquisitely beautiful Carole Bouquet. It is the story of a woman (Carole Bouquet), who is married to an egotistical, self absorbed Englishman (Jonathan Pryce), who is a well known writer and highly acclaimed literary figure. Christopher Walken plays the part of an Italian American publisher who is looking to sign up some English authors for the American market. He wines and dines Pryce, who ends up signing with him.

Meanwhile, Pryce is suffering from writer's block, while his long suffering wife is typing out her own manuscript. Pryce speaks to his wife contemptuosly about her effort. She gives her finished manuscript to Walken, who likes it and agrees to publish her book. This angers Pryce, who actually tells Walken not to publish it, so enraged is he by his wife actually having a thought that does not evolve around him. Walken meets with the wife and sees her as the beautiful, warm, intelligent, and articulate woman that she is.

Delighted to be treated like a normal person, rather than an appendage of her husband, Walken and Bouquet begin an affair that culminates in divorce from Pryce and marriage to Walken. She finds out that once married, however, Walken basically expects her world to revolve around him. In essence, Pryce and Walken are basically one and the same. She ultimately leaves Walken, writes another book, and becomes a best selling author in her own right and a woman of independent means. She comes into her own as a person, and is no longer another's doormat. This is the story of her liberation as a woman.

TERRIFIC CHRISTOPHER WALKEN VIDEO
I bought this to see Christopher Walken in it. He did not play the main character, but as a supporting actor, he was witty, handsome and delicious! I saw this on a Pay TV channel a few years back. It is late night because of the mature subject, and nudity (yes, she is gorgeous!) If you are a Christopher Walken fan, this is a must see. This is one of the few movies he is in, in which he shows that he can be more than a "bad guy" actor. I wish he would do more comedies. If you are a Walken fan, I highly recommend trying to get "Puss In Boots." He plays the cat in that movie. He is young and adorable. He also can sing and dance!

A good movie about A Business Affair
I saw this movie for Christopher Walken. But it's not his movie. It's Carole Bouquet's movie. She plays the main character, and it with her character that we identify and empathize with.

I saw this labelled as a comedy, but it's not. Its a very real human drama... sometimes lighthearted, sometimes not so light... but always a real drama. And I cared what happened to the characters.

In the end, the characters didn't all act the way I wanted them to. But it's not my movie. And I realize that it ends the way it should. It's a movie about a woman who is stuck in a man's world. Who faces, and loves, men who want to keep her in her parents' era. But she wants a life of her own... and in the end it's a movie about her liberation.

If you are looking for another good creepy Christopher Walken movie, then you may be looking in the wrong place. Because this is a very good movie, but it's not a psycho-thriller. It a human story. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Chris Walken Is At The Top Of His Game!
I've been a life-long Christopher Walken fan. The first film I can recall seeing him in was "The Deer Hunter". He may be creepy-looking, but he's one hell of an actor. In my opinion, he'll go down in history as one of the greatest actors that ever lived. He again proves himself with this trilogy. If you like a good thriller/horror film, this series is the one to get!

This is the best
Anyone who has ever thought about philosophy and teleogical substances will find this movie great. It brings a whole new concept to the classic battle of God vs. The Devil by bringing in good angels who want to be a catalyst to the final end battle.

great end-o'-the-world stuff
A worthwhile take on the apocalyptic theme - jealous angels, scared people, and an indifferent satan. God doesn't do a lot in these movies - just mankind (our heroes) vs. angels (Gabriel's goons) in a celebrity deathmatch to determine our fate. And a few other angels tossed in to make things interesting.

I can't usually stomach Christopher Walken, but am writing this review mainly to say he is perfect as Gabriel. The first time I can recall liking his performance(s). I don't generally like movies that require children to act either, but that is fairly easily overlooked in these films. 4 stars.

Christopher Walken as The Angel Of Death...PERFECT casting.
This series of movies details a war in Heaven between opposing factions of angels, those loyal to the Word of God and those loyal to the Archangel Gabriel (played superbly by Christopher Walken), who is jealously unwilling to be placed on a lower shelf than human beings in receiving God's love, being that we humans (or "talking monkeys", as sneeringly referred to by Gabriel and later Zophael throughout the series) were gifted by The Creator with a soul, which the angels lack.

I won't detail each movie in the trilogy in terms of plot specifics (each movie is reviewed separately under its respective title), but I will go so far as to say that this represents a most original Biblical crisis, foretold in an innovative style. Each movie has its own merits as well as detractions, but the main reason for owning the full set is of course Christopher Walken. He's obviously enjoying himself throughout the entire series, and as a result he gives an inspired performance as an omnipotent being who is surprisingly weak in areas that one wouldn't normally expect.

The key element to remember when watching the series is the lack of Biblical verse set in modern times. This creates a sense of displacement for the angels on Earth as portrayed in the series; Gabriel's fascination for 20th century technology belies his contempt for those who created it, and his inability to drive a car requires him to intercept humans on their way to their Eternal Reward in order for him to move from place to place. This is a problem that couldn't've occurred even in the New Testament and one that I feel is dealt with by the series' producers in a realistic fashion.

If you're a fan of Christopher Walken, each of the movies is worth owning, as his development of the Character of Gabriel is well-worth watching. At the very least I can recommend the first movie in the series to everyone, as it presents a fresh take on a genre of films that lacks many recognized classics, outside of perhaps the "Exorcist" and "Omen" franchises.

Fallen Angels
The Prophecy is a battle between good and evil. A tale of fallen angels on Earth doing battle over the human soul. Christopher Walken is the archangel Gabriel, jelous of humans and cast out by God he wants his revenge.

Walken puts in yet another superb performance, he is edgy and menacing and not to be missed. A strong and different story this one will keep you intruiged right until the very end, and then have you gasping for more. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Work of Director Spike Jonze
When you experience The Work of Director Spike Jonze, you enter a world where anything can happen and frequently does. From the innovative director of Being John Malkovich and Adaptation., this superior compilation of music videos, documentaries, interviews, and early rarities offers abundant proof that Jonze is the real deal--a filmmaker ablaze with fresh ideas and fresh ways of filming them. While collectors will regret that only 16 of Jonze's 40+ music videos are included here, this glorious sampling represents the cream of Jonze's bumper crop, and for sheer ingenuity, it doesn't get any better than this. From the Beastie Boys' popular TV cop-spoof "Sabotage" to the intensely disciplined backwards-filming technique of the Pharcyde's "Drop," it's clear that Jonze has an affinity for inventive street theater, culminating in the sad/happy vibe of Fatli! p's introspective "What's Up Fatlip?" and the pop-jazz effervescence of Bjork's "It's Oh So Quiet." Technical wizardry is also a Jonze trademark, especially in the elaborate "Happy Days" nostalgia of Weezer's "Buddy Holly" and the graceful fly-wire dancing of Christopher Walken to Fatboy Slim's pulsing "Weapon of Choice." No doubt about it: Every one of these videos is an award-worthy testament to Jonze's ability to combine hard work with fun-loving spontaneity. Accompanied by an informative 52-page booklet, this two-sided DVD also explores Jonze's artistic evolution with an entertaining selection of video rarities and three half-hour documentaries, the best being a revealing and very funny interview with rapper Fatlip after his dismissal from the Pharcyde. Commentaries for the music videos are consistently worthwhile, supporting Jonze's own belief that his best videos were made for artists whose work he genuinely enjoyed. Lucky for us, his pleasure is infectious.

The Work of Director Chris Cunningham
Like the other volumes in the acclaimed Director's Series, The Work of Director Chris Cunningham offers a feast of visual ingenuity, with one major difference: Unlike the relatively playful brightness of Jonze and Gondry, Cunningham wants to involve you in his nightmares. From the urban monstrosities of Aphex Twin's "Come to Daddy" to the limb-shattering weirdness of Leftfield's "Afrika Shox," Cunningham's music videos emphasize the freakish and the bizarre, but they are also arrestingly beautiful and otherworldly, as in the aquatic effects used for Portishead's "Only You," combining underwater movements with ominous urban landscapes. Some of Cunningham's shock effects are horrifically effective (his 'flex" video installation, excerpted here with music by Aphex Twin, is as disturbing as anything conjured by David Cronenberg), while others are cathartic or, in the case of Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker," outrageously amusing. And while the eerie elegance of Madonna's "Frozen" arose from a chaotic production, the signature work in this collection is clearly Björk's "All Is Full of Love," a masterfully simple yet breathtaking vision of intimacy involving advanced robotics and seamless CGI composites. In these and other videos, Cunningham advances a unique aesthetic, infusing each video and commercial he makes with a dark, occasionally gothic sensibility. That these frequently nightmarish visions are also infectiously hypnotic is a tribute to Cunningham's striking originality.

The Work of Director Michel Gondry
The Work of Director Michel Gondry invites the lucky viewer into a wonderland of childlike imagination. Before the Versailles-born Gondry turned his creative ingenuity to feature films (beginning with the underrated Human Nature and the 2004 Jim Carrey comedy Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), these 27 music videos and assorted "stories and things" formed a legacy of supreme cleverness, suggesting a creative lineage from the pioneering film magic of Georges Méliès to the groundbreaking experimental films of Norman McLaren. It's perfectly fitting that the accompanying 75-minute documentary is titled "I've Been 12 Forever," because Gondry (b. 1964) never lost the sense of wonder and inventiveness that children display when their minds are allowed to flourish in a creative environment. No wonder he's best known for his dazzling collaborations with Icelandic pop star Björk, resulting in music videos (seven included here) that redefined the magical potential of the medium. Each, in its own way, is a masterpiece of the fantastic. What's also remarkable about Gondry's work is its technical progression, from the homemade crudeness of his earliest videos for the French band Oui Oui, to the technical wizardry of Kylie Minogue's "Come Into My World," in which the Australian pop star is seamlessly multiplied as she strolls around a busy Parisian intersection; like many of Gondry's videos, it's a stunning "how-did-they-do-that?" work of art, reminiscent of Zbigniew Rybcynski's prize-winning 1982 short "Tango." From the hilarious dreamworld of the Foo Fighters' most popular video "Everlong" to the painstaking pixilation of Gondry's videos for the White Stripes (one made entirely of animated Lego blocks), this DVD is packed with Gondry's tireless pursuit of perfection; he'll do whatever's necessary, no matter how simple or complex, to achieve perfect harmony between song, artist, and visual concept. All the while, he's drawing from a seemingly endless well of inspiration, as evident in the delightful 52-page booklet of stories, drawings, photos, and interviews that chronicle the eternal sunshine of a brilliant mind. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Best DVD idea in a long time!
Spike Jonze may be the best known of the 3, but it's worth getting the trio for Cunningham and Gondry's discs. This whole set is amazing and well put-together. Best conversation piece in years!

A Perfect Gift for the Music Video Lover
This review applies to the DVD titled The Work of Director Michael Gondry.

If you enjoy watching music videos, this is one DVD you may wish to add to your collection. I bought it because I have always enjoyed watching the music videos for Daft Punk's "Around the World," and Lucas' "Lucas with the Lid Off". However, this collection not only includes these entertaining videos, but it also includes some other very creative ones as well, namely The Chemical Brother's "Let Forever Be" and Kylie Minogue's "Come into My World".

What is great about this DVD is that you can repeatedly watch these videos and still find something fun about them. You might often find yourself asking, "How did they do that?" I like to play this DVD when having parties because inevitably, someone will ask "What DVD is this?" or say "I have always loved this video!"

Add this DVD to your collection today so that you can watch these wonderful videos whenever you desire, not when your favorite music channel elects to play them.

"Works" worth having
Three unique directors. Three collections of music videos, documentaries, and other tidbits about those directors. Three DVDs in the "Director's Series - the Works of Spike Jonze, Chris Cunningham and Michel Gondry" collection, a wild and wonderful look through three warped funhouse mirrors.

Spike Jonze (who directed "Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation") is presented in less cinematic glory. Several videos are collected here, such as the jazzy Bjork "It's Oh So Quiet," the hysterical Beastie Boys spoof "Sabotage," and the pyrotechnic man-on-fire of Wax's "California." There are also documentaries, such as a funny look at a former Pharcyde member called "What's Up, Fatlip?", and an endearing look at a dance company.

Chris Cunningham shoots in a slightly different direction: He did Bjork music videos too (the CGI-infused "All is Full of Love"), but also the ethereal underwater "Only You" by Portishead, Madonna's coldly alluring "Frozen," and the hilarious, acid-laced Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker." We also get his commercials (for Nissan and Playstation among others), including some that have never been seen before.

And Michel Gondry (director of the wonderful "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Human Nature") rounds off the collection. Music videos include his wildly amusing "Hardest Button To Button" White Stripes video, where everything is made of Legos, the wonderfully jerky Chemical Brothers "Let Forever Be," and more ranging from Bjork (again) to the Rolling Stones -- as well as some commercials (much like his music videos) and a funny little nonsense film starring Jim Carrey and a bedmobile.

Each of these directors is blessed with a deliciously warped mindset -- Jonze is like a funhouse mirror, but Cunningham is darker and more nightmarish at times. And Gondry seems to blend surrealism and whimsy seamlessly. There isn't a dull moment in the whole collection.

There are also interviews and commentaries with the director and bands and behind-the-scenes photographs, sketches, artwork and so on. Not to mention great "making-of" specials for videos by Bjork and Pharcyde. These add an extra dimension to the videos themselves (like Jonze having musicians coached to sing backwards).

The collection isn't perfect, though. Cunningham's collection is very short despite the wealth of interviews, and Jonze's is missing several wonderful music videos. And Gondry's is missing some (hey, where's Radiohead's "Knives Out"?) as well. And some of Gondry's bonus material is... well, squirm-inducing (like the rather icky "One Day").

"Director's Series" showcases the good, the bad, and the really bizarre. This collection of early work by three excellent directors is well worth having. Highly recommended.

I can't get them back
My friends keep asking to borrow them, so they keep shifting hands. I know what a bunch of friends are getting next gift-giving season.

When they are at home, they go on every week or so. We either let the videos play for background music while cleaning or the likes, or put the doucmentries/interviews on for movie time.

Having a collection of such fun videos and a good mix of songs on these DVDs makes it impossible to pass up.

Gondry is my hero!
I got the Spike Jonze DVD for Christmas and was already familiar with some of his work such as the Fat Boy Slim videos for "Praise You" and "Weapon of Choice" (featuring Christopher Walken dancing through a deserted hotel). I don't like everything he has made, but his good stuff is really excellent and he has a great talent for coming up with simple but very original concepts (like him leading a dance group outside a cinema in L.A. to the beats of FatBoy Slim). Also, he is partly responsible for bringing us MTV's "JackAss", of course!

One of my personal favourites is "Drop" by The Pharcyde which was filmed entirely backwards with some very amusing results. Also "What's Up Fatlip?" by Fatlip who seems to be one of the few rappers that dares to appear on camera without four models hanging off each arm. In fact, he cycles through suburbia with a kiddie seat on the back of his bike, lets his 6 year old cousin kick him in the balls and raps on the street clad in nothing but a dirty raincoat and a diaper.

Listening to Jonze's commentary about making some of the videos is very revealing and, accompanied by the candid descriptions of failed attempts in the booklet, helps you realize that even highly successful directors like Jonze and Cunningham make mistakes too. Chris Cunningham in particular is very critical of his own work which unfortunately resulted in his DVD containing less videos than the other two.

Cunningham's style is very dark and ominous and in some cases downright scary, as in "Come To Daddy" (Aphex Twin). You've probably seen it and if so, you will probably never forget it as it depicts a deformed character in a TV set screaming "Come to daddy!" at children who all have Richard D. James' grinning face (Aphex Twin himself). I can barely watch it as it is exactly the kind of thing my nightmares are made of, but Madonna obviously liked it as she asked Cunningham to direct her video for "Frozen" after having seen it.

Probably the most notable video on the Cunningham DVD is Bjork's "All Is Full of Love" in which the Icelandic songstress is a white, plastic robot on an assembly line who ends up passionately kissing an identical robot, therefore kissing herself. The movements are so fluid and well done that it's almost arousing to watch, despite all the machinery surrounding them. Bjork is the common denominator in this set of DVDs as all directors have worked with her. It is Michel Gondry however who has the most Bjork videos to his name.

"Joga", "Bachelorette", "Hyperballad", "Army of Me", "Isobel" and "Human Behaviour" are all on there, along with other artists such as Kylie Minogue, The Rolling Stones, Daft Punk and Oui Oui (a band that Gondry himself played drums in for a while). I had never heard the name Gondry until this set came out, but as the title of this review suggests, he is my new hero now! Wow, he makes some jaw-dropping videos which, besides pioneering new video compositing techniques, prove the guy is a genius in creative concepts. He has such a good feel for which images go with the track. Take "Fell in Love With A Girl" by The White Stripes for example: entirely animated out of blue, yellow, red, black and white lego blocks! It works so well particularly because he sticks to very rough shapes and doesn't overdo the details.

Gondry is the man responsible for the Rolling Stones video "Like A Rolling Stone" in which Patricia Arquette crawls through Manhattan in a drugged haze. That video had a very strong "how on earth did he do that?" quotient as it appears to be made up of still photographs morphed into eachother, yet has the fluidity of film. In fact, most of his videos make you wonder how he realized certain effects and how he came up with the idea in the first place? The video for the Chemical Brothers' "Star Guitar" is worth buying this DVD for on its own. A view from a speeding train, the landscape rushing by as you might expect it to, until you realize that the landscape is in time with the music. Buildings. bridges and trees fly in and out of the frame on the beat, almost putting you in a trance. Pure genius again (sorry to keep repeating myself).

The booklet accompanying the Gondry DVD contains background information on the making of certain videos, but also pages of personal polaroids and drawings and stories which Gondry faxed from L.A. to his 6-year-old son, Paul in Paris. There's a collection of home-movies and experiments and a documentary about Gondry, named "I've Been 12 Forever", a very apt title. My favourite page in the book is one with photos of every car Gondry's father ever owned. I love that kind of wacky stuff. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Fantastic the second time around.
"Excess Baggage" is the type of movie that failed at the box office due to poor marketing. With the combination of Alicia Silverstone in a lead role and a trailer suggesting that this was mostly a comedy, I think a lot of people went into this flick with a wrong impression. I know I did. The first time I saw it I was rather disappointed. There was nothing inherently wrong with any performance or any facet of the movie itself. I think it was more that it wasn't what I expected. Luckily, I decided to let some time pass and view it again. I'm very glad I did because this is actually a solid movie. The role of the bratty rich kid was, of course, perfect for Alicia and she didn't have to stretch much to properly play the part. Benicio Del Toro was simply amazing! His mannerisms for his character are something you simply can't be taught. Del Toro is the real deal and you can't help but fall for his charm...even if he is playing a car thief. It goes without saying that Christopher Walken is flawless as usual. The guy's been around forever because he is one of the best acting talents in Hollywood. The story certainly has some amusing moments and situations. However, this is a story that's actually about love, loyalty and knowing your place in the world. By all appearances, Alicia Silverstone and Benicio Del Toro would make quite the unconvincing couple. As the movie progresses, however, you are truly moved by the bond that they form. "Excess Baggage" is a very special film that deserves an open mind and a keen eye for amazing acting and appreciation of a multi-layered storyline filled with deep moments.

A quirky, fun, dark comedy.
I don't understand why people hated this movie so much. Ithought it was well written with an amazing cast and some surprisinglycute, funny moments. It's not like anything else I've ever seen, but maybe that's why some people didn't like it. If you're expecting some cute, fluffy formula film this isn't it. Try a Julia Roberts movie (snooze). But Silverstone holds a solid lead role, a crusty cry from her usual material, and Del Toro is definitely a phenomenon waiting to be noticed. He owns every scene he's in, not just because of his looks, but because of his pure talent and unusual line readings. He's one of the most gifted, original actors I've seen in a long time. Nicholas Turturro and Harry Connick, jr. also add a nice surprise to the mix, with Connick's geeky but funny car thief and Turturro's tough guy act. Of course Walken can always be counted upon to add a welcome sense of eerie comedy and I enjoyed this so much I've rented it twice. It's subtle, intelligent humor and that may only appeal to a select crowd, but I'm glad movies like this manage to sneak by and get the green light once in a while. If you have a brain and like understated humor and unconventional romance you should like this film. If nothing else, it offers a chance to watch some enormously talented people strut their stuff. If this is indicative of what she wants to add artistically to the world of film, I welcome her future work.

DVD Worse Than The Actual Film
...and that's saying an earful. We all know Excess Baggage was a bad movie, case closed. THE THREE STARS ARE FOR BENICIO ALONE!!! No one else mattered to me. DVD could have given it new life if the manufacturers thought to give us more bang for our bucks. I HATE plain DVDs! Why do some movies have loads of special features while others are just the VHS version on a disk? There were no special features whatsoever on this DVD. There was only one version of the film...full screen. I don't mind full screen but I would have liked to have the choice of both like most DVDs. The scene selection part is stuck in dinosaur land. You could only go in one direction which meant you had to go through the entire movie to get to the scene you wanted. I wouldn't have bought this DVD if I wasn't so smitten with BDT. He's the only thing in this film worth watching because we all know Alicia Silverstone's never been front-screen material.

Wonderful Film with 5 star Wide-Screen Anamorphic Picture
Won't try to compete with other folks saying good things about this wonderful film, but wanted to confirm that the DVD received from Amazon.com in January 2004 is a superb transfer with full screen on one side and gorgeous Anamorphic 16:9 widescreen on the other. Watching films on a widescreen television is the coolest! Be aware it's necessary to tell your DVD player (in the set-up menu) to format for a 16:9 screen. This automatically outputs any anamorphic DVD as full-screen (without black bars top and bottom). This will look tall & skinny on an old-fashioned 4:3 monitor, but when stretched to fill a wide 16:9 screen it looks glorious!

charming,witty a wild ride!
hold on to your hearts as car thief Del Toro foils Silverstone's"kidnapping" and ends up with more than he bargained for in this sweetheart of a movie! ... Read more