Saturday, August 23, 2014

The Fisher King - Movie Review

I got stuck on this movie (and a couple of others) after Robin Williams died. One of my favorite Hollywood films is 'Dead Poets Society' which could ever have been what it was without Robin Williams. I always felt there was an element of sadness, which he did not try to hide, in his madness, to the extent that the sadness overpowered the madness.

The Fisher King is a most unusual story and I wonder where they got that story from. Must be real. Anyway there's a popular RJ Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges) who causes one of his callers to become suicidal and homicidal and kill a bunch of people before shooting himself. Jack goes into depression and alcohol, and just when he is on the verge of committing suicide he is saved by a half crazy homeless man Parry (Robin Williams). Parry takes a fancy to him, takes him to his basement apartment, tells him how he wants to find the Holy Grail etc. It is obvious that the two connect, but what kills Jack is that he finds out that Parry was a successful man whose wife was shot by the crazy guy who go influenced by his radio talk. Driven by guilt Jack tries to get Parry out of his half crazy life where he sees red knights scaring him. Jack helps Robin find love (with an equally crazy woman), find sanity and finds love and his life too.

The story of the Fisher King is something that Robin tells Jack as he lays naked on the grass in Central Park. About a king who always wanted the Holy Grail but who can never find it. It is revealed only when a young boy gives him water because he is thirsty. The boy says he does not know what it is, just that he wanted to give water to someone who was thirsty.

Robin Williams was brilliant in the movie in his half crazy role and got a nomination as best actor for his role. Jeff Bridges is great and so is Mercedes Ruehl, who won best supporting actress. Most unusual and interesting movie.

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