Customer Reviews

Mr Jones [VHS]

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm M-D so take that into consideration. Gere doesn't get enough credit for his acting because he has his own persona like John Wayne and critics can't get over this. His is an outstanding performance, trust me. Lena is my favorite actress to watch and listen to so factor that in also. There are just so many funny scenes in this movie! (And a few oddities; Gere is no carpenter--you hammer nails with your wrist, not your arm.) Fun moments: Gere quoting from Alice In Wonderland while playfully teasing Olin's stock psychologist demeanor, the dialogue in and around the car ride, the table tennis sequence is priceless, in fact all of the dialogue between these two excellent actors is worth watching. Two outstanding dramatic moments are 1)the point of Gere's discovery of Olin's prying into his past(and catching him in a chilling lie)and 2)the subsequent confrontation in the rain; this is Olin at her--or anyone's--best...economical and searing. The only major misfire in this movie is the sexual involvement...should have been platonic but this is easily one of Hollywood's best efforts from the 1990s. I bought it. Aaaahhh, Leeena!! Yum

Gere is great at portraying the extremes of bi-polar disorder, but the film is lacking in two major areas. One is the boring doctor/patient relationship and the other is the fact that bi-polar patients also exhibit weeks, months, and even years of "normal" behavior. I wish the film dealt more with the difficulties of having relationships with family, friends, and lovers. Bi-polar disorder is a serious one and medication is a must in order to balance yourself. The movie should have shown some of the struggles of finding the right medication for it.

I am a fan of Richard Gere, and I came across this gem a few years ago by word of mouth. This is a wonderful movie that tackles a thorny mental disorder that is receiving much attention today -- bi-polar, manic depressive disorder. It seems that bi-polar sufferers, despite their having a classified "mental disorder", are often exceptionaly creative, brilliant individuals. Many of our great artists, writers, painters, and musicians were (are) manic.

Mr. Gere does a fantastic job of portraying such a brilliant/unstable manic sufferer, and really brings the disorder, with all of its twists and turns, to life. The story is true to the struggles and realities of manic sufferers, and uses wonderful images of planes crashing overhead, tightrope walks, and grandiose symphonies that metaphorize what it must be link to be manic. The story veers only in its hollywood insistence on the highly unlikely patient-therapist romance.

Five stars for a compelling and original performance by Richard Gere, and a movie that brings to light the fascinating and devestating consequences of manic depression.

This is a pretty good movie I thought. Richard Gere plays Mr.Jones a man who suffers from manic depression who has suicidal tendencies. When I saw it I thought this is one of Richard Gere's best performances in a long time. He really did a great job and it is probably the best acting that I've seen him do in quite awhile. Lena Olin is also very good as the psychiatrist who takes an interest in him both as a patient and in the personal sense. I really liked this movie and have added to my movie collection. It is one of those rare movies that you can see just about anytime. Overall is a good movie but if you need more convincing than that then see it beause of Richard Gere he is excellent in this film and that should be reason enough I think.

This movie looks as though it will be another one of those trite, over-simplified stories of a mentally ill man. Surprise! Barring the Hollywood idea that all therapists sleep with their patients, this is a great movie that accurately depicts a serious and complex mental illness. I will say that were a therapist to become romantically involved it would probably be with a bipolar patient because their manic cycle is so exciting and exhilirating after endless lifeless burdened people. Gere is astoundingly accurate in his portrayal of both the manic and depressive cycle of bipolar - impressive. A great movie!!!

By the director of "Stormy Monday", which I thought a much better film. I didn't think this was that good; but Richard Gere's performance is a marvel. He has really grown here. Unfortunately, Lena Olin was once again too weepy, as she was in Robert Redford's "Havana".

This movie is about R.Gere who plays of course Mr.Jones, he is manic depressive. He is a really charming man. He comes on a hostpital and fall in love with his doctor(the brilliant swedish actresses Lena Olin). The troubles starts when they are sleeping together,(cause that he is pacient and she is a doctor)........ I was allready a Richard Gere fan when I saw this, BUT even then I was suprissed! a internet friend adviced me to see the movie, and I saw it, and I THOUGHT WOW! This movie is sooooooooo good, it has a deep message, I think what R.Gere is trying to say is that we should respect people for who they are, and that people who have Manic Depressive, are just as intelligence as people who dont have it. He is ECXELLENT even people who are not into R.Gere loves him in this movie. It is very sad, I sure got tears in my eyes, but also have funny moments too. Lena is also a good actresses, I think she is doing a great job(People from Scandinavia may remember her from "Hamilton" with her main language he he). If you loves R.Gere as an actor just as much as me, then watch it, if you dont, then still watch it, it is a movie you will never forget!

Manic-Depression (BiPolar)is one of the easier treated mental disorders, yet too often misdiagnosed with suffers being labeled (extremely moody). The film captured the mania, that feeling of grandeur and elation. The depressive pole was not as well demonstrated. One important aspect of the illness which was not shared is the intense anger and frustration which this disease offers the sufferer. The love affair -- simply an addiction to the excitement generated during a manic phase -- not likely. Film would have been better without the affair. Consider also videos Vincent and Theo, and Vincent, the Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh.

Having studied bipolar illness via reading of Jamison, Hershman, Fieve, etc., some of America's foremost authorities on bipolar, this provides a strong base to evaluate whether the relationship of Mr. Jones with the psychiatrist is "preposterous" or a "lose-lose path" for the writer of the story to go.

If psychiatrists were void of emotion, then yes - it would have been preposterous. If bipolar individuals weren't some of the greatest contributors to the western world, some of the most inspiring people, talented musicians, writers, leaders, then yes it would have been preposterous. But, remember, we're all people with emotions - and the ability to "fall in love". Just as people have fell in love with the works of bipolar writers and artists such as Van Gogh, Beethoven, Schumann, Michaelangelo, just to name a few.

Furthermore, it is the 3rd revolution of psychiatry where the focus is on medicine, and such medications as lithium, depakote, prozac and clonopin are available - and organizations such as National Alliance of Mentally Ill have made tremendous progress and the Society for Manic-Depression has found itself highly successful in their remission program for the support of bipolar individuals leading stabler lives, while not losing their inherent intelligence and creativity. Therefore, the earlier review that the relationship between the psychiatrist and Mr. Jones seems to be preposterous and lacking intellectual depth.

Far too often, the various facets of the media misrepresent mental illness, thereby reinforcing stereotypes and strengthening stigma. As a mental health professional, this is infuriating to me! I've been a Social Worker for several years and the individuals with whom I work teach me at least as much, if not more, than I ever do them. We all deal with issues and problems in our lives, but they have the usual problems compounded by a mental illness! They are truly amazing people and this film depicts an example of one such endearing person. I will be the first to admit that the symptoms exemplified in the movie are to an extreme. For instance, in my experience, many persons with Bipolar Disorder having a Manic Episode will be up for two or three days straight working and cleaning their house over and over again. Yet, despite the fact that the movie depicts several outrageously obvious episodes of mania, likely for dramatic effect, the things that happen are very real possibilities. This film covers a number of issues, albeit briefly, with which a person coping with mental illness has to contend. To draw them to your attention they are things such as: overcrowding in/lack of access to appropriate care, misdiagnosis, medication side effects, continuity of care, minimal work opportunities, lack of access to housing, and cultural differences in mental health care. An additional note I'd like to make is in reference to the inappropriate behavior of the psychiatrist. While such extreme unethical behavior does, in fact, occur it is a rare exception and not the rule!