Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Under the radar comes the crap artist., July 12, 2002
When I initially discovered this video at a video clearance outlet, I found it in a section with children's movies. Let me be very clear that this IS NOT a children's movie. Characterizing this movie is very difficult. It is a french movie based on Philip K. Dick's "Confessions of a Crap Artist". I assume that is what the word "Barjo" means. If nothing else was good about this movie, I would have appreciated it just for being titled "Crap-Artist". It has an innocence (primarily in the title character) that is endearing, and manages to be darkly comical without leaving a sour taste in your mouth. I can think of no easy referents or comparisons. The story revolves around two twins. Fanfan (a woman) is strong-minded and manipulative. She drives her husband to madness through her insensitivity towards him. Her brother "Barjo", who is an eccentric clairvoyant apocalyptic inventor requiring some element of guidance, has organized a note file to help him understand the emotionality he observes when he comes to live with Fanfan and her husband, Charles. This is a very strange movie, at turns comic, harsh and fantastic. It contains philandering, an occult tinge and the killing of a menagerie of animals. Yet it remains lighthearted. There aren't any obvious moral judgements in it, so you are on your own when it comes to figuring out the film's intent. It would take more than one thousand words to do it justice in a review, and I'm not prepared for the effort at this point. Incidentally, I've decided to name my next pet "Barjo" and you can come to any conclusion you want to about that.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Enjoyable!, June 12, 2004
As soon as I learned of this film adaptation of Philip K. Dick's "Confessions of a Crap Artist" I had to get a copy of "Barjo". It's only available on VHS and only in French with English subtitles and still I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the novel. In this film the dysfunctional family lives in a bold and futuristic home that's been worked into a natural environment very nicely. Barjo's a little different than Jack from Confessions - he's recognizably strange immediately. Charlie's a little more normal and Jack's evil sister Fay who wasn't watered down at all (Thankfully!), makes quite an impression even when you're keeping one eye on the dialogue lines. I'd like to see an American version of the story, but Barjo is a worthy adaptation. There's comedy, tragedy and a catchy little song. Of course, the novel does the shifting character perceptions even better and creates an even odder country setting. My preference is always for the written version over the film, however "Barjo" was much more enjoyable than I expected.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wishful Thinking to the Max, May 23, 2007
This is one of the best adaptations ever of a Philip K Dick novel. It's right up there with A Scanner Darkly.
It needs to be on DVD.
Fat chance.
It probably isn't even still in print in VHS, but Amazon somehow have some copies left, so movie buffs aren't going to be hounding the studios for this.
Maybe if enough Philip K Dick freaks believe in how good it is and start making noise. Maybe.
If you are a fan of Phil, even if you never read Confessions of a Crap Artist. Even if you never read ANY of Phil's non-SF work, trust me that this was a savage brilliant novel and the film certainly does it justice.
Make some noise. Write Kulture. Write Anchor Bay. Write Strand Releasing. This GEM of a movie would sell to every Philfan on the planet if they understood how good it was and how very Phil it was.
Help me out here, don't just sit there rereading Timothy Archer (although there ARE worse ways to spend your time.)
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DVD ~ Peter Weller
DVD ~ Shane Brolly
by Philip K. Dick
by Philip K. Dick
DVD ~ Nathan Fillion
