Has anyone seen this? I've just about gotten through the whole thing, and I've found some it breathtaking, some of it uneven and some downright boring. No way near the way the critics are falling all over it. Is it another of those "important issues" movies that critics love? Or, am I not getting all of it?
Mark, I pretty much agree with your comments. I do think Al Pacino's performance is an Emmy clincher. The rest of the cast was superb. It did, however, take some patience to sit through the whole 6 hours as the plot shifted to and fro from stark reality to absolute fantasy.
I loved Al's performance as well as Jeffrey Wright's performance (the male nurse). I agree...a bit uneven...sometimes spectacular, other times boring (the Male Republican's wife parts were a bit boring at times) while any scene with Pacino or Wright was mesmerizing. Worth catching for sure. Wish I had HBO-HD for this one. Should be a very good DVD.
The movie has the same problems that the play had. The second half was not up to the impact the first half had. I was hoping that this would have been fixed by the time they made the movie. And not everything that works on the stage translate well to the screen. I am looking forward to the dvd release of this. I would like to have the chance to actually see this in a movie theater. It is much for me to give all my attention in a theater than in my living room.
Thanks for the comments on the actors, which I forgot to mention. Pacino just brings chills to my spine with just about every role he's in. He comes close to chewing the scenery, but certainly knows when to rein it in. I thought Mary Louise Parker was very good in a somewhat minor role, too. The actors who played Louis and Prior were fine, too. I've actually enjoyed the second half more than the first half, myself.
I'm an hour from finishing this epic. It's been in my list of things to see, but length and potential depressing subject matter might have made me delay viewing for a few years. A few scenes have been less smooth and easy to watch than others. But the acting from every actor in this is amazing. Al Pacino is just devastating in every scene. Of course the writing gives him plenty to chew on, a lot of lines to remember, and he delivers them like he could do it in his sleep. Way up there in some of his best acting ever. What would anyone expect with a cast and director like this with proven material. Glad I finally got around to this series on DVD.
"Angels in America" was conceived as a work for the theater. The translation to film was nowhere near as successful as the original theatrical production.
I was amazed when I first saw it and bought the DVD right away. I might have to watch it again, since it's been many years now.
My husband saw the original production, he said it worked much better on film, mostly because you could focus on the words.. Either way, it's something that stands up under repeated viewing, and the performances are uniformly excellent.
About twenty years ago (or more) there was a Showtime original call "As Is" about AIDS. I remember it being excellent. I have never been able to find it again. Regarding Angels, I have watched it several times over the years. Great acting. I am not sure who was better, Pacino, Streep or Parker.
In the stage production, all the roles are played by the same eight actors. In the mini-series, some of the principal actors play more than one role and others don't — a serious inconsistency that reduces the effect to the level of a gimmick and is ultimately detrimental to the style, tone and message, in my opinion.
Just finished chapter 3 and it is a bit of a chore to sit through. The acting is quite good, but the subject matter is a bit depressing. I do want to finish it.
I think the great stuff here (85%) makes the lesser bits worth it. A few (too many, too long) scenes with angels got tedious for me. But Pacino almost steals the entire second half of the production. Absolutely riveting, every scene with the nurse and Streep. I might have to watch his scenes again, just skip and cut right to the chase. His threat to call Mike Wallace about the Olie North slush fund is great. Didn't the person on the other end of that call say "but it's not true"'and Cohn says back " so what, about everything I make up cones true anyway". Something to that effect. Of course we now know the Iran Contra affair was true. I feel the best acting in this was Pacino of course, Jeffrey Wright, and Streep.
