"Well Mr. Nobody Special, why did you kill me?" That's the question that the egomaniac actor Peter O'Toole wants to know in a island he's gone to in the afterlife after Colin Firth has shot him. They are both on a boat going across the River Styx with shots of people desperately trying to get on the boat, saying nothing to each other. It appears that O'Toole has no idea who Firth is until they arrive, and that's after Firth has had an encounter with a fabulous deceased novelist, explaining the ins and outs of where they are.
It appears that this island is for celebrities or infamous people as some sort of purgatory before their permanent placement is decided. It's fun seeing representations of real life famous people, unnamed, yet fairly obvious, although some of the residents (including the Lindbergh baby, now a little boy) are mentioned. As O'Toole comes to grips with where he is, he confronts Firth, and doesn't acknowledge the fact that he stole Firth's book and took credit for writing it.
This film is more of an analogy of the obsession of celebrities to remain in the spotlight, probably more potent now than it was in 1990 because of social media and "fake celebrities". Conversations with the supporting characters show their desperation to remain relevant even though their days on earth have come to an end. Others seem to be content to be just happy, especially the aged female author who reminded me of Martita Hunt.
O'Toole's character obviously has a lot to learn and repent for, sent to a variation of hell on the island, trying to sleep in a dirty room with non-stop noise and acting like a complete diva. The performances of the two stars are mesmerizing, with O'Toole his typical bombastic self and Firth quite subtle. In fact, it's obvious that only Firth (his killer) can teach O'Toole the error of his ways, with Firth's earthly crime one of desperation rather than the years of torture that O'Toole's character provided for him and everyone who knew him. The River Styx reference really gives an amazing metaphor, because ultimately this is nearly a Greek myth set in modern terms.
It appears that this island is for celebrities or infamous people as some sort of purgatory before their permanent placement is decided. It's fun seeing representations of real life famous people, unnamed, yet fairly obvious, although some of the residents (including the Lindbergh baby, now a little boy) are mentioned. As O'Toole comes to grips with where he is, he confronts Firth, and doesn't acknowledge the fact that he stole Firth's book and took credit for writing it.
This film is more of an analogy of the obsession of celebrities to remain in the spotlight, probably more potent now than it was in 1990 because of social media and "fake celebrities". Conversations with the supporting characters show their desperation to remain relevant even though their days on earth have come to an end. Others seem to be content to be just happy, especially the aged female author who reminded me of Martita Hunt.
O'Toole's character obviously has a lot to learn and repent for, sent to a variation of hell on the island, trying to sleep in a dirty room with non-stop noise and acting like a complete diva. The performances of the two stars are mesmerizing, with O'Toole his typical bombastic self and Firth quite subtle. In fact, it's obvious that only Firth (his killer) can teach O'Toole the error of his ways, with Firth's earthly crime one of desperation rather than the years of torture that O'Toole's character provided for him and everyone who knew him. The River Styx reference really gives an amazing metaphor, because ultimately this is nearly a Greek myth set in modern terms.