Cheap The Book of Life (DVD) (Hal Hartley) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Book of Life

We need more Hal Hartley movies on DVD
This DVD was very hard to find, and i truly enjoy it the picture quality is top-notch, but the Dolby Digital Surround Stereo, does not do very well, this film it's a very human story, we definetly need more Hal Hartley movies on DVD, but thanks to Miramax and Anchor Bay Entertainment, "The Unbeliveable Truth" is coming out on DVD in March 13, 2001, WOW!, and i Sure hope that Fox Lorber Films and Winstar Cinema realese "Surviving Desire" on DVD,and that Turner realeses "Simple Men" on DVD, and that Sony realeses "Henry Fool", "AMATEUR", "Flirt" and "TrUsT" on DVD, that will be great!

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Excellent New Years Eve Movie
This is a superb film by Hal Hartley. Part of a European project on views of the millenium, Hartley submits a film that only an American could make. It is very slick, due in part to his use of digital film. The music complements the scenes perfectly (and the soundtrack makes a great CD too!). The movie traces an introspective Jesus on New Years Eve trying to end the world (think of it as the old black and white The Horn Blows and Midnight redone for the 21st century). In presenting the story the movie is a travelogue for NYC- and has an excellent NY feel- from the hotel bar, to the times square music store, to the Russian restaurant (note that the lights say TRUTH and FAITH in Russian) and in the street. It is uniquely American (in the millenium film group) in that it plays off the city, the law, and the business deal to make its point.

This movie humanises Jesus, but at the same time avoids the intentional controversy around, say, a Last Temptation of Christ. In addition, the character of the devil is really a joy to watch. This movie will make you think.

The only weakness is a rather sappy ending. I suppose it is a tricky film to end, but I found all but the last 5 minutes on the staten island ferry to be wonderful, but those last five were really not worthy of the rest of the film.

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beyond belief
Living in England, I doubted I would ever get to see this short, let along actually own it. This is a multiregional release, so us Limeys can purchase the DVD as well as you darned Yankees. The film itself is only an hour or so, but succeeds on every level - there's not an ounce of fat on it. A freewheeling take on millenial apocalypse, it stars Hartley veteran (and all round object of desire) as, appropiately, God versus Thomas Jay Ryan's delicious Satan. A superb supporting cast including PJ Harvey (a revelation) and Hartley's better half Miho Nikado help bolster this humorous and theologically inventive piece into the realms of pure cinematic joy. Thomas Jay Ryan's Satanic deliveries to camera are superb. His best film? Quite possibly. Go on, shoot me. Reccomended without hesitation to all.