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Showing all 42 reviews...
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Captivating! The film captured me and told a fascinating & heartbreaking story from beginning to end. I have a unique interest and compassion for the tormented life of the mentally ill, because I am bipolar. I am high functioning but have had a few "episodes" that took me into psychosis and paranoia. My great Aunt was commited to a New York institution from the ages of 29 years through 70 years. Her husband was quite wealthy and she had two young girls. This began in the late 1920's and she probably had a quality of life that was similar to the "Spider" character in this excellent film.
10/10
1.11.2008 -
muzik4me2@ - age: 50+
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The question is: who may go to see it. Supposed to know anything about schizophrenia, which is yet an unsolved problem in psychiatry. If you have elementary knowledge about it, you can estimate the fantastic inner and outer transformation of Ralph Fiennes (worthy of Oscar) He reminded me at those mumbling dirty pitiable homelesses, whom we meet every day on the streets seeming demented an slow (beeing katatonic), with a stormy internal life. I hardly realized I see acting. Cronenberg is a wonderful director, he followed his protagonist's katatonia - it explains the slow rhythm. Sight, music everything served to show this regretful soul with his terrible Oedipus-complex to know the truth about himself. And the costars were all excellent. Miranda Richardson in the triple but one role, as these woman, the mother lived in Spider's memory, Gabriel Byrne's multifaceted father, the young Bradley Hall as a childhood schizophrenic, Lynn Redgrave in a Miss Ratched-like figure and last, but not at least John Neville in the role of Terrence, an odd Horatio beside an odd Hamlet. It's really a masterpiece! (for those who understand and like this type of artkino)
10/10
20.8.2005 -
dr,pajzs@
This movie is typical of its genre:- it starts mysteriously with the audience not knowing exactly what's going on. - it becomes increasingly interesting as the story progresses and starts shaping up and making sense. - it ends with a shock or twist that makes the rest of the movie illogical and not make any sense as a whole. I hate movies like this where the pretentiousness of the director makes the ending ruin what could've been an excellent film.
4/10
2.4.2004 -
mprsa1@ - age: 18-25
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A great range of critiques here, which is not uncommon for David Cronenberg movies. However, I thought this movie as less controversial than some of his other movies. In fact, when I saw it at the Vancouver Film Festival, the audience applauded it at the end. A great study of a man who traumautically witnessed the murder of his mother, who then lived a dysfunctional life afterwards; to the point where he visually imprints his mother to other female authority figures. Another favorite Cronenberg movie of mine.
10/10
18.3.2004 -
mjohnz1@ - age: 26-35
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Slow moving drama, and I mean SLOW!! The plot is interesting once you figure out what's wrong with the main character but overall it was just a depressing art film.
4/10
16.3.2004 -
emanmark666@ - age: 36-49
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Saw on Direct TV. Very strange movie... one of those that you can't say you liked & can't turn off. The ending will not tie-up all loose ends either. But, I have to agree that the story is perfectly fitting for a movie about a mental patient in search of his past. The actors really put their all into this movie. And, the scenes are artfully pieced."Spider" is appropriate for this movie. Like a web, beautiful at some angles, but you really don't want to get caught up in it.
7/10
15.9.2003 -
willowaskew@ - age: 26-35
Difficult film for me to evaluate. Its entertainment value is, for me, negligible, but the story line, artistic value and its acting is superb. If you want to know, better yet feel, what it is to lose your mind, this film will do it for you. Did he do it, and if so, to whom? 7, 5 / 10.
7/10
31.5.2003 -
ptoleme@ - age: 36-49
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Most people that didn't like this movie thought they were going to see "spider-MAN", and were horribly disapointed by a movie without special effects. Doh! But if you know you're gonna see an emotional thriller by David Cronenberg, then it will be a refreshing surprise. Movies aren't made any more creepily than this.
7/10
13.5.2003 -
mantid@ - age: 26-35
I know very little about David Cronenberg, so had no preconceptions as to what this movie was supposed to deliver. What I got was an utterly absorbing, brilliant look into this poor soul's anguish. From the first scene I was drawn in and kept enthralled until the final, clarifying minutes. The characters were true, real and every one of them held my attention and drew on my compassion. Well done! A brilliant movie.
10/10
29.3.2003 -
mooringisland@ - age: 26-35
I must admit this is one of the MOST BORING movie I've seen... EXTREME dissapointment... Not even worthy of playing late at night on TV... Save yourself some money... Stay home or see something else...
1/10
26.3.2003 -
csg@ - age: 26-35
Need to get confused and depressed... go see spider! Half the time you don't understand the british accent, the other half you don't understand the mumbling. Not even a rental!
3/10
25.3.2003 -
franca1@ - age: 26-35
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