“Twelve Monkeys” movie poster. The movie was released in 1995, starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe and Brad Pitt and was directed by Terry Gilliam.
I recently watched 12 Monkeys again and I figured I would feature it in my first real post.
I watched this movie many years ago, but had mostly forgotten what it was about, only really being able to remember Brad Pitt’s great performance in it. I will try to be light on spoilers, and not outwardly say what happened throughout the movie, but rather only hint at what happens in a vague way.
The basic plot line of the movie is this: A con man, played by Bruce Willis, volunteers to go back into the past to save the disastrous state of the present world in the year 2035. This does not turn out as well as planned, due to certain reasons explained in the movie, which only lightly touches on what happened: a virus was unleashed onto the world that devastated most of the population, much like the black plague, and humanity is thinned down and still recovering in the present day, being forced to hide underground to maintain their small numbers and try to figure out how to make a cure for the virus.
We are not shown much of the future world. The beginning opens with some shots of the outside world, which appears to be post apocalyptic: cars are littered on the streets, buildings are tattered, the streets are empty and wild animals like bears openly walk through cities. Much of this future setting takes place in the prison James Cole (Bruce Willis) is kept in, with scientists and inmates giving us the back story of the film as it goes on. As a result, I found myself quite confused (even by reading a plot synopsis prior to watching the film, even if it was pretty vague) at first while watching the movie.
A gorgeous view of the empty surface of the world in 2035, infected by a virus.
As a result, the movie is slow to start, but starts to pick up by the 50 minute mark when the plot is set into motion by tying together characters and plot threads. But when it gets going it certainly grabs your attention. As the layers of the plot unfold the movie makes more sense, and you start to care more about the characters and better understand their motivations. This is definitely one of those films that makes more sense once the credits roll, when you can reflect on what has happened and appreciate it more (I assume even more upon repeat viewings). The ending is pretty easy to see coming, as it is foreshadowed throughout the entire movie, but that doesn’t take away from its impact. This is not a movie about twist endings and shocking moments; the plot is put on a slow burner and the movie makes you care about its characters and revels in its storytelling glory as the movie progresses. This is not an action movie, although there are various action scenes in it, rather serving as a thinking man’s movie, and therefore won’t be to everyone’s taste.
Brad Pitt is very believable as he adds an extra dimension of craziness to this character in the film.
What holds this movie up for me the most is the phenomenal acting. Bruce Willis lends sympathy to his character James Cole, one whose sanity you are constantly questioning but also a character whose motivations you can understand and sympathize with. Kathryn Railly, played by Madeleine Stowe, is great too, and they share a good chemistry onscreen, as her character is swept up and intertwined with the actions of James Cole. The most in your face character is definitely Jeffrey Goines, played by Brad Pitt, as he delivers one of the best performances of his career. His character is simultaneously crazy and sane at the same time, which is made believable by Pitt as he states crazy things and makes creepy facial gestures by twitching his eye or menacingly glancing at other characters on-screen. He also manages to maintain a sense of control while he is acting out in a crazy way, in order to get things that he wants, and one can certainly point to this to demonstrate the potential of his acting ability. The other characters in the film are all well acted, with no real standouts or weak links, and it is definitely filled with solid acting.
The only other Terry Gilliam directed film I have seen is Fear and Loathing, but his directing was solid all around. Twelve Monkeys is filled with good cinematography, a good script and an excellent plot and characters. Gilliam portrays a sense of control of the film, and you can tell he put effort into getting the shots he wanted in the film: as a result, the visuals are outstanding and many beautiful scenes accompany the wonderful story (well, good considering the film was released in 1995). Another thing I wanted to touch on is the futuristic setting of the movie. Some of the technology witnessed in the futuristic underground prison is pretty high-tech and a little creepy, as a machine filled with TV screens displays various eyes looking at Cole as the scientists evaluate his performance. The sci-fi element of the film comes in the aspect of time travel, and as a result the film asks us if it is truly possible to change history. The film switches between the future and the past, and the result is a little jarring on the first viewing. I would not dare spoil any of the movie, but will definitely remind you that it while it is a little hard to follow at first, it more than pays off in the end.
Bruce Willis gives a great performance as a convict seeking redemption in this excellent sci-fi film.
Overall, Twelve Monkeys is a great sci-fi movie, and one that I recommend anyone to see, and not just sci-fi geeks like myself. Although it is hard to understand at the start, it gets better and better as the movie unfolds the layers of the plot and sets them rolling. It is also a movie that is a bit of a slow burner, with an ending that ties the film together instead of relying on a shocking plot twist to grab the attention of the audience. As Willis is sent to various time periods, the film deals with past plot threads of the movie, and by the end of the movie nothing is set up to chance. The viewer may be left scratching their head at the end, but it is a movie that demands not only reflection on the viewer’s part but invites repeat viewings in order to be enjoyed to the fullest. After all, what’s not to like about the movie? It portrays seemingly crazy characters with questionable motivations in a sympathetic manner due to its high-caliber acting and directing, presents the audience with questions about morality concerning scientific impossibilities, and uses it futuristic setting to its advantage to show the dangers of time travel. With all of these things combined, Twelve Monkeys is a hell of a ride, and while it is not a movie I would recommend to anyone, it is one that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is a very cool movie, and it has also convinced me to watch more of Gilliam’s films.
Overall: Twelve Monkeys is a great movie fueled by powerful acting and directing that uses its sci-fi setting to its advantage and ties together plot threads as it goes, in order to present a compelling story that will force the viewer to think about it after it is done, in order to fully appreciate it.
4/5
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