The Jacket

This has to be my all time favorite film. It's different from most normal films, and I think that turns a lot of people off. I for one love it's originality and all out funkiness. It is both dark and comforting. Believe me, this film is awesome, and don't believe anyone who says this film has no positive messages. Quite the contrary. As you can tell, I have a strong emotional connection with this film. It's messages of changing fate and the triumph of life over death and hope continue to give me the strength to move on in tough spots. This is the story of Gulf War veteran Jack Starks (Played here brilliantly by Adrien Brody) , who gets in the wrong car and gets accused of shooting a cop (he didn't really, but he has amnesia). Also he helps a little girl named Jackie and her wasted mother Jean. Not considered sane (A Iraqi kid shot him in the head in the Gulf earlier), Jack is sent to Alpine Groves, a bleak mental institution where the misguided Dr. Becker straps Jack into the titular Straight Jacket and locks him in a morgue drawer. During these "treatments", Jack travels sixteen years into the future (From 1992 to the year 2007) and meets a grown up Jackie, living the same sad life as her mother (who was burned to death one night by a cigarette; Despite the characters in this film smoking A Lot, this incident is (Spoiler!!!) avoided in the end, sending a clear, if small anti smoking message). Jack finds out that he dies on New Years Day 1993, and over the course of his next trip teams up with Jackie (They have a beautiful connection in this film, and a brief sex scene [Which is tasteful and sweet, you can tell Jack and Jackie adore eachother]) to find out how he died to prevent his death. There are some very nice time parodoxes, where information from the future causes events in the past that Jack learns about in the future. But does that mean Jack is doomed to die? How does he receive the head trauma that kills him? I won't spoil the ending, but believe you me, every time I watch it I cry tears of happiness, it is a ending filled with hope, joy and peace. They truly have all the time in the world...tearing up...hold on. Ok, I'm good. So that's the plot. There is very mellow violence, always tasteful and never any worse than ER. Positive role models? Yes, mainly Jack, Jackie, and Dr. Lorenson. Jack is honest, kind, and innocent, and Brody brings a real sympathetic, likable quality to Jack Starks, the accidental time traveler running out of time. Keira Knightly does phenomenal job at playing Jackie, and gives the character real soul. The romantic relationship between Jackie and Jack is very sweet and beautiful. Yes, I admit it, I ship them like crazy. Dr Becker is played brilliantly by Kris Kristofferson. This character could have been the stereotypical unethical mad doctor that we know from countless other places, but thankfully Dr Becker is not the bad guy in a traditional sense, instead he is a misguided man who does feel guilt about the things he does to Jack and the other patients. The character of Dr Lorenson is also done very well, and eventually becomes an ally to Jack. Still with me? Thanks :) The locations are great (filmed in Canada and Scotland but set in Vermont). The color palette is very beautiful and visually striking. The 1992 scenes are bleak and depressing, with unfeeling recurring colors of black, white, and gray. The scenes in the future of 2007 are colorful and vibrant, which clearly shows which one is better for Jack. The Visual effects are astounding, mainly consisting of Jack's psychedelic eye trips in the Jacket, which makes for some beautiful sequences. The film would be right at home in the Twilight Zone. Overall, it was a astounding smart movie that really makes you think, about life, death, ethics and destiny. I truly wish I'll find my Jackie somewhere. It's all just so great. So, to conclude, watch The Jacket!!!! We truly Do have all the time in the world.... Thanks For Reading!

More drama than thriller, and even so it was a mellow drama, violence was no issue, profanity was harsh yet somewhat infrequent. Sex scenes and disturbing content might be too much for some, parent is a hard alcoholic and smoker, daughter becomes the same. If it weren't for the great performances by Adrian Brody and Keira Knightly I wouldn't have been able to finish it, decent, but not great movie.

Great acting by Brody