Subject: Review: K-Pax (2001)

From: Jerry Saravia <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2001 19:31:27 -0000

K-PAX (2001)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
November 14th, 2001
RATING: 2 stars

Do not be fooled by the ads. "K-PAX" will not make you change the way you look
at the world for one good reason - you've seen this tale before and done far
better. Consider it an "Analyze This" crossed with the haunting riches of "Man
Facing Southeast" and you'll see how the melding of different films and tones
result in one confused, predictable, highly indifferent movie. 
Kevin Spacey is the stubbly new patient at the Psychiatric Institute of
Manhattan, having just been admitted as he was found wandering at a train
station commenting on Earth's brightness. He calls himself Prot and claims to be
an alien from the planet K-PAX. There is a haggard psychiatrist, Dr. Mark Powell
(Jeff Bridges), who has the task of determining Prot's sanity and whether or not
he is an alien. Prot is persuasive. He is so persuasive that the doctor is
convinced the man is not so delusional. Dr. Powell gathers a panel of
astronomers to determine whether Prot's supposed solar system, 100 light years
away, exists. Prot draws a diagram that has the astronomers astounded in
disbelief. It is this crucial scene that had me convinced the man is an alien or
he has studied astronomy and is some kind of scientific genius.Why? Because the
astronomers are shown to be astounded. If this is not enough proof and Dr.
Powell is sure Prot could be mentally ill, then why doesn't he ask a question
that bugged me througho
ut the movie: since when do aliens sport stubble?

These questions would not have bothered me in the slightest if the movie hadn't
bored me. Unfortunately, the director Iain Softley ("The Wings of the Dove")
finds a rather monotonous tone by delaying the plot for as long as humanly
possible, and keeps repeating key scenes with little flair or energy. The scenes
between Prot and the doctor should be engaging and fascinating but something is
off. Spacey and Bridges seem indifferent and speak in hushed tones that only
drove me nuttier than Prot. Bridges is the master of hushed tones, finding a
voice decibel level that is often inviting. Not so this time, and Spacey, one of
the most electrifying actors working today, is too restrained for his own good.
I sense that he was miscast in this role - perhaps someone like Christopher
Walken (who looks like an alien) might have cut right to the core of Prot. 

And to make matters worse, we have the motley crew of patients that irritate in
ways I cannot begin to describe. They just aren't engaging in any way, nothing
like the similar group of patients in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" or
"Awakenings." Here they seem to be marking time, and their weight is dictated by
Prot's ability to cure them of their mental states and his promise to take one
lucky patient back to his home planet. 

"K-PAX" is one awkward hybrid of comedy and offbeat drama that results in a
typical, simple morality tale. Prot teaches the doctor a valuable lesson about
family and unity. He seems to say that we must be united and invest time on this
great planet earth doing so. I would have expected more from a would-be alien as
smart as Einstein. 

For more reviews, check out JERRY AT THE MOVIES at
http://moviething.com/members/movies/faust/JATMindex.shtml

E-mail me with any questions, comments or general complaints at
[email-masked] or at [email-masked]

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X-RT-TitleID: 1110283
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X-RT-RatingText: 2/4