The Fisher King is an extremely powerful movie that touches upon a host of weighty issues, including the ultimate meaningless of material success, the cruelties and insensitivities of modern life, and the unbearable weight of knowing a life lived only for oneself is not worth living. Through it all, however, the film delivers the message that love and redemption are attainable. While this description sounds preachy and sermonesque, the movie is not. Jeff Bridges, in possibly his best role, plays a "shock jock" radio host whose casual cruelty in dismissing a disturbed caller leads to real-world tragedy. This sets him on a downward spiral that seems destined to continue when he meets Robin Williams, a former college professor rendered psychotic by the same incident. But in introducing Bridges to Williams, fate gives Bridges a rare second chance. The film is by turns funny, thoughtful and poignant, and both Bridges and Williams (as well as Mercedes Ruehl) are terrific. In an era when most Hollywood movies are simply mindless, illogical bubblegum fare, the Fisher King deftly takes on some of the most unsettling questions about life, love, and our ability to connect with one another, and does so in a provocative and intelligent way. A truly unique and memorable film.
Review of The Fisher King
