Customer Reviews

Julian Po

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The story and characters were perfect. It captures the essence of a small town and the irony of this young man facing suicide only to change his mind again only to have forces set in motion take control. It is a philosophical echo of our own insecurities and the fact that many of us tend not to live life at its fullest. It had the feel and sensibilities of a live play - would be great on as an off broadway production. Would like to see this in a DVD edition.

I never "got" Christian Slater or his presence, purpose, or whatever has made him such an in demand and popular actor until I saw this movie playing on sunday afternoon TV matinee. I look forward to JULIAN PO being reissued on dvd because this is a great movie and CHRISTIAN gives an outstanding lead performance. God knows I have several dvd movies with him in them even though he is not their major star attraction, but, till JULIAN PO, I just never understood Christian's artistry as an actor. NOW I KNOW!

it made me think..an unusual occurence for a wednesday late night movie session. robin tunney was wonderful, as always (did anyone else notice that her name was also Sarah in The Craft?) This movie was offbeat, and the ending was the opposite of what i had imagined. I cried through the last 15 minutes of it. I'd recommend it to anyone who wishes to see Death in a completely different way...

I've watched this film several times, usually showing it to friends for their first time. Nobody likes the ending, and yet, it's the perfect ending for this movie. You laugh, your eyes moisten, you go through this range of emotions, and human nature is revealed in both positive and negative aspects to a point of making the viewer uncomfortable, then you are snapped to the next vignette. Very well done. I just wish there was a sequel.

I am a huge fan of Christian Slater because he chooses his roles carefully, and most of his roles are dark comedies, which is of course my sense of humor. Such greats as Heathers, Very Bad Things, Twisted, Pump Up the Volume.... all of those were some of his best, but this one tops em all. The whole movie is so fun to watch, knowing that he has death on his mind, and the townspeople just watch him day and night to see if he actually goes through with suicide. One particular scene is where some kids are staring at him through his window and he looks out and screams, "It's ok! I'm not going to kill myself today, you can all go home now!" Robin Tunney was a great supporting actress. Along with a wonderful soundtrack, I highly recommend this movie to the lovers of dark comedies, and only the hardcore fans of Christian Slater.

After reading the ten reviews that supercede mine, I felt compelled to throw my two cents in on the topic of this film. Yes, this movie is a dark comedy and yes, the topic is suicide and yes, it treats life complacently, but not the life of Julian Po. Julian is the hero of this film, not because he is determined to kill himself. He is the hero of this story because he is the only person in the town who has figured out his life. People are drawn to him like metal to a magnet because, in this small town where life is planned out for you from birth, where you do not question normalcy, he torn down normalcy, determined and focused on the goal. This film is powerful and inspiring. If you saw this movie and hated it, either you missed something or just realize that 50% of the population is below average intelligence. Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

This was a strange little movie that got poor reviews and normally wouldn't have been something that would have interested me....but I liked it. It had one basic message: committing suicide is not the answer.

Strange characters abound in this dark comedy-drama as Christian Slater passes through a small town of curious inhabitants. I liked his narration and many of the characters in here, except for a minister who tells his congregation he doesn't believe in God. The atheists in Hollywood just never cease in their anti-God propaganda!

Other than that, the rest of the film is very likable and I enjoyed the cinematography, too. Since this was a "one-joke story," they were smart enough to keep this short at 80 minutes.

I only purchase the video of a movie when it is one I know I'll want to see again and again. Such was the case with "Julian Po." My small video collection consists mostly of films by Ingmar Bergman and other European directors. "Julian Po," except that it is in English with no subtitles and was made by Americans, fits right in. The story -- which I'm not going to divulge because I don't want to lessen the impact of the film on you -- was adapted from a short story by a Czech writer. Though it deals with suicide, it is a film with a great deal of humor, an off-beat movie which holds your attention from beginning to end.

Julian Po is played by Christian Slater, who is so good he doesn't appear to be acting at all. The supporting cast is excellent, too. Even the music score is enchanting and very European. It is designed to fit the action perfectly. For example, when Po is followed down the street of a small town by five or six children, the music seems to be played by five or six wind instruments. But as more and more people begin to follow Po, more and more instruments are added to the orchestration until you have a crowd following him to the same theme played with a lush orchestral sound. This is just one of many details that makes this film work so well.

On the downside there are one or two mistakes of continuity (Po leaves a letter on the bed in his hotel room but in the next scene he has it with him on a bridge where he tears it up; Po has to pay in advance for the first night at the hotel, but not when he returns to extend his stay). And the ending is less than satisfying to those who want a clearer resolution. Nevertheless, I wish more Americans made movies like this one. Hollywood it isn't, and that's perhaps the biggest compliment I can give to "Julian Po."

"Interesting material for a short story, but a bit thin for a film," was my impression after first viewing. A young man stumbles into a small town, invents a story that makes him a hero, changes the course of several lives and ultimately suffers the consequences of his fabrication. Told in a series of vignettes, each focusing on one or two of the people who live in town, the story builds in layers to illustrate the complexity of the town's people's lives, all the while leaving the central character, Julian, an enigma. Even so, as the vignettes eventually make clear, no one in town will be the same having known Julian, nor will anyone forget him. It is not hard to imagine that in future, there will be an annual Julian Po Day to commemorate the time he spent there. Visually, the film is lovely although initially, it may seem down right drab. Once the viewer has the story in mind, he can begin to absorb the many details such as the remarkable harmony between the wallpaper and the young woman's dress in the "dance scene" and the Spartan simplicity of Julian's hotel room and bath. The delightful, upbeat music, reminiscent of a county fair band, and the carnival atmosphere that develop in town during the duration of Julian's sojourn contrast starkly with the underlying morbidity of the story. View this one at least twice before passing judgement.
N.b.: Unlike the young carpenter who wandered from town to town telling parables, changing the lives of many, and suffering similar consequences, Julian does not make the mute girl speak.

Bored with mainstream Hollywood? Like something a bit different? Ever lived in a tiny rural town? Like deep, dark and wierdness in a movie? If you can say yes to even one of these questions, you will like, if not love this movie. Christian Slater is awesome.