Tom Hanks always showed promise, even back when he was in the short lived sitcom, Bosom Buddies. He was able to spin off of that success to become one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood. Many critics will be quick to point out: His acting chops may not be on par with DeNiro or Hoffman, but what he lacks in method, he more than makes up for with sheer charisma and likability. It's this likability that led him to a blossoming comedy career with Big and Turner and Hooch, and it's a key ingredient to what makes Joe Vs the Volcano one of the best movies to download.
So what makes this one so special? Well for starters, while Big and Turner and Hooch both did an excellent job showcasing Hanks' abilities as a comic actor, Joe Vs. The Volcano is a little more demanding of the actor. Here, he's asked not simply to provide a few funny moments, but to be cast in the shoes of the everyman. At the beginning of the movie, Joe is seen in a situation most of us will find familiar: selling his life away for "three hundred dollars a week".
We start off in a dismal state of affairs, with Joe experiencing an existential crisis, having no idea why he was put on earth. This is driven home by the excellent production design of Beetlejuice's set designer Bo Welch. The factory where Joe works, sitting in the middle of a vast expanse of muddy terrain, is simply disgusting and soul crushing.
Joe, a serious hypochondriac, takes a trip to the doctor's office where he learns that he has a "Brain Cloud". A fatal condition. From here he meets the industrialist played by Lloyd Bridges, who offers him a chance to live like a king for several months, in exchange for his suicide by jumping into a volcano.
The industrialist, played wonderfully in his one scene by Lloyd Bridges, will finance Joe's trip and all the luxuries he can indulge in if he'll go to the Waponi Woo and jump into a volcano. The industrialist uses this island for mining, but the people of the island are fearful of the volcano and believe that it needs a human sacrifice every hundred years lest it blow up and kill them all. The chief, finding nobody among his own cowardly people to do the deed, needs Joe to do it.
Joe is made to fully appreciate what a gift life is. By accepting his death, by having nothing to lose, Joe is able to do anything he wants in life, including jumping into a volcano. This is where the movie's philosophy lies, this is the meaning of life: Enjoy it for what it is. Don't worry about the afterlife, don't worry about mortality or bills or rent, don't let the troubles of the world get you down, just appreciate every moment for what it is.
This feeling, this almost boring, understated wisdom also drives the look and feel of the movie. If you haven't seen this movie, you've never seen a movie that looks like this. It seems to take place in some kind of second cousin fantasy reflection of our own world.
SPOILER! The original ending of the film had the industrialist and the doctor getting what they deserve for pulling one over on Joe. It's probably better that they went with another take, because while those two characters do serve as the villains, in a sense, they also serve as Joe's saviors, giving him his life back.
So what makes this one so special? Well for starters, while Big and Turner and Hooch both did an excellent job showcasing Hanks' abilities as a comic actor, Joe Vs. The Volcano is a little more demanding of the actor. Here, he's asked not simply to provide a few funny moments, but to be cast in the shoes of the everyman. At the beginning of the movie, Joe is seen in a situation most of us will find familiar: selling his life away for "three hundred dollars a week".
We start off in a dismal state of affairs, with Joe experiencing an existential crisis, having no idea why he was put on earth. This is driven home by the excellent production design of Beetlejuice's set designer Bo Welch. The factory where Joe works, sitting in the middle of a vast expanse of muddy terrain, is simply disgusting and soul crushing.
Joe, a serious hypochondriac, takes a trip to the doctor's office where he learns that he has a "Brain Cloud". A fatal condition. From here he meets the industrialist played by Lloyd Bridges, who offers him a chance to live like a king for several months, in exchange for his suicide by jumping into a volcano.
The industrialist, played wonderfully in his one scene by Lloyd Bridges, will finance Joe's trip and all the luxuries he can indulge in if he'll go to the Waponi Woo and jump into a volcano. The industrialist uses this island for mining, but the people of the island are fearful of the volcano and believe that it needs a human sacrifice every hundred years lest it blow up and kill them all. The chief, finding nobody among his own cowardly people to do the deed, needs Joe to do it.
Joe is made to fully appreciate what a gift life is. By accepting his death, by having nothing to lose, Joe is able to do anything he wants in life, including jumping into a volcano. This is where the movie's philosophy lies, this is the meaning of life: Enjoy it for what it is. Don't worry about the afterlife, don't worry about mortality or bills or rent, don't let the troubles of the world get you down, just appreciate every moment for what it is.
This feeling, this almost boring, understated wisdom also drives the look and feel of the movie. If you haven't seen this movie, you've never seen a movie that looks like this. It seems to take place in some kind of second cousin fantasy reflection of our own world.
SPOILER! The original ending of the film had the industrialist and the doctor getting what they deserve for pulling one over on Joe. It's probably better that they went with another take, because while those two characters do serve as the villains, in a sense, they also serve as Joe's saviors, giving him his life back.
About the Author:
All music is fully licensed and you can download sample songs for free. Movie Downloads A genius in its truest sense, the legendary Hendrix was born in. on October 5, 1975 to Roger Winslet and Sally Bridges-Winslet.
No comments:
Post a Comment