Wednesday, August 11, 2010

"Adam Resurrected" - Jeff Goldblum's Finest Movie

I've noticed that when most people view a movie, they want to laugh, not cry. They prefer happy endings, even if they're contrived. They avoid movies that are "dark" or "disturbing." Maybe this is why Hollywood produces so many stupid B-grade comedies. People actually pay money to watch them.

And why a movie like "Adam Resurrected" (2008) can flop, even though it's an important story with excellent production qualities, featuring a popular actor like Jeff Goldblum in an Oscar-worthy performance, the finest of his career. Now while it's true the Jeff Goldblum has starred in plenty of fluff movies, what he does in this one is magical. I don't see how he did it, or how any other actor could have done it.

Because it is, indeed, dark and disturbing. It's about Holocaust survivors who were driven mad by their experiences. It captures the strangeness of life in a mental hospital, and it depicts the horror and degradation of life in a Nazi concentration camp. Which is a story that ought to be told. It's well-paced and full of surprises, including the ending.

This is definitely one of those "finds" - a destined-to-be-a-classic movie that no one has ever heard of. If you have the stomach for the truth and unusual drama, I highly recommend it.

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2010. Building Personal Strength .

6 comments:

Sarcastic Bastard said...

Thanks for the tip, Denny. I'll see whether I can get a hold of it in my DVR listings.

Sean said...

Wow, it sounds miserable! I've never understood why people want to be made to feel bad as a form of entertainment.

There's a good reason so many films have happy endings and contain fantastic, amazing, unreal subject matter-- people want to be entertained! You don't pay $13 per ticket to be punched in the gut.

Denny Coates said...

Sean, you are definitely in the majority of movie-watchers, who don't care for movies that deal with troubling subject matter in an honest way, regardless of how how important the topic is or how well-done the movie is. You're certainly entitled to have your preferences!

The Gulbransen Family said...

I get your point Sean...there are times when I want to laugh. But life is full of both good and bad. Films that deal with hard subject matter like this one does, have valuable lessons and can lead to us examining our own consicence.

Thanks Denny!

Lori Meyer said...

I had never heard of this film, so I will look for it on DVD. Jeff Goldblum is a fine actor, who has not gotten enough recognition in the industry. But more important, this film might be worth watching today, in a world that seems to be increasingly desensitized to cruelty. It might provide a needed reminder of the devastating consequences of cruelty unchecked -- and that for the sake of our future, cruelty is just plain not an option.

Sam Maropis said...

I'm a fan of Jeff Goldblum, but haven't heard of this movie. (OK, that means I must not be a TRUE fan!... but I like him.) I will check it out. Great acting is great acting, and JG delivers...at least he always makes me smile. So curious about this movie now...