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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"On the eighth day, He made Georges.", April 18, 2000
This review is from: The Eighth Day [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I just watched the most wonderful movie, and I must tell youabout it. It's called THE EIGHTH DAY (Ale Huitieme Jour). It's Frenchwith English subtitles. But, don't let that stop you, if you're one of those who dislikes having to read the dialogue. The dialogue is easy to follow, and it's mostly a visual film, and stunning at that. The cinematography is remarkable. But, let me get back to the story, because it's important. There are two men. -- Georges (played superbly by Pascal Duquenne), a man with Down's Syndrome, living in an institution, and missing his mother (she died). He has recurring visions of her, along with visions of his favorite crooner singing his favorite song. He switches gears back and forth from being erratically boisterous and playful at times, to being somber and contemplative at other times. One day, he just walks away from the home, taking along a dog (that may or may not be his pet). Then, there's Harry (played perfectly by Daniel Auteuil). Harry is a salesman. He's very good at his job, but fails in life. He's recently divorced, and has one last chance to see his children, before his ex-wife denies him the right. But,... One night as he's driving in the rain,... He hits a dog, then meets Georges. He takes Georges (and the dog) to the police station. But, they don't help. Unwittingly, he becomes the guardian of Georges, but in the process of trying to take him home, they become friends. Georges teaches Harry about the simpler pleasures in life. And, Harry helps Georges find a home. (His mother is dead, his sister doesn't want him.) Well... I could go on and on, but I don't want to give away the whole story. This is not just another buddy-buddy story, or another road-trip movie. It's more than that. It's about friendship, family, love, life, everything. It's sad. It's funny. It's heart-warming. It's everything that life is. I laughed and cried, sometimes at the same time. It's a truly wonderful movie. Too bad I can only rate it five stars, it deserves ten. END LocalWords: Huitieme Jour
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awakening the passions in us all, August 9, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Eighth Day [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Sometimes we are fortunate enough to view a movie at the perfect time in our lives. Most of us have been in Harry's shoes; overworked, underappreciated, and completely caught up in the rigors of mundane, work-a-day life. Through George, Harry slowly learns to release his inner rage and re-discover love, kindness, and beauty. This movie has several wonderful, memorable scenes of emotion and beauty. When H's estranged wife refuses his attempts to see his daughter on her birthday, H goes berserk and almost harms his wife and mother in law. Defeated, G tries to console the bawling H, who realized his actions further separated him from his family. If this scene didn't make Maltin's throat tighten, perhaps he should find another line of work. Shortly after that scene, H & G lie under a tree in a park, just listening to nature. G asks H for just one more minute before they must go. Another moment of cinematic beauty ensues, as the director allows a full, motionless minute to pass, only the singing birds become louder in the background, and the viewers as well as H begin to understand the true beauty and meaning of life. The theme was also wonderfully captured in the face of his daughter and wife as H puts on a fireworks display on the beach outside the flat on his daughter's birthday. The reflection of the fireworks in the night on the faces of wife and daughter, and hearing H's joyous, child-like laughter below also put a lump in my throat, realizing that H, a kind and gentle man after all, is finally winning back the love of his family. I don't mean to short change the performance of Duquenne, whose performance was nothing short of amazing. His love for his mother was so real and heart-warming, and the movie so bittersweet, that any intelligent viewer is forced to examine his/her own life and relationships. I remember the last time I cried, 1976 at a funeral, but I happened upon this gem one afternoon, and I cried like a child several times during the movie, and also wept the next two times I watched it.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Little Things Mean A Lot, April 18, 2005
This review is from: The Eighth Day [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Once in a while a unique film comes along that touches the heart strings. The EIGHTH DAY will make you laugh and make you cry. It has been compared to the French version of RAIN MAN. However, it is not similar at all unless you make extreme comparisons to the physical disparity, Down's Syndrome, that George, one of the main characters, possesses to that of Dustin Hoffman's Autism and his friend,Harry, a father-like figure, to Tom Cruise's character. Other than that, that's where the comparisons end.
EIGHTH DAY brings two completely different people together as they work through their own separate but similar situations. George is not at all absent-minded and is aware of his surroundings, but he holds on to his happy memories of his late mother. In reality, he has to grip with tensions between his older sister and her husband, and the fact that she can no longer take care of him; she has no choice but to confine him to a home. As for Harry, he is fighting to have the right to see his daughters. He too is left out in the cold as his wife refuses him the right. Through some strange occurrence, George running away from the home, and Harry driving along, George and Harry befriend each other despite the numerous trials they face along the way.
EIGHTH DAY is a simple film without flashy scenes. The English subtitles are helpful but not necessary because the character's actions basically speak for themselves. There are high points in the film, the dream-like scenes that George had of his mother, and low points where Harry attempts to abandon George. Overall, this is a recommended film for those want to see an excellent film about friendship.
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