oOoBarracuda When you start a movie starring Adrien Brody, you know you're in for quite an experience. An actor like Daniel Day-Lewis or Al Pacino, Brody immerses himself in his work and always becomes quite believable in the character he is playing. His role in The Jacket was no different. This dark, gritty film from 2005, captures the essence of despair of a world Brody's character had already left.We first meet our star, Jack Starks (Adrien Brody) in a military hospital during the Gulf War. The soldier was shot and believed to have died, when the stunned doctors realize he is alive and needs further medical attention right away. Once he comes to, Jack navigates to his native Vermont, afflicted by bouts of amnesia. Hitchhiking to get around, Jack is picked up by a man who murders a police officer when he is pulled over while Jack is in the car. Jack is accused of murdering the police officer, and is sentenced to an institution for the criminally insane. Once admitted to the hospital, he unwillingly becomes a participant in a Doctor Thomas Becker's (Kris Kristofferson) experiments. The experiments have Jack laced into a heavy straightjacket in the drawer of the morgue. Throughout this "treatment", Jack gets flashbacks of the future and the effect is has on a little girl (Kiera Knightly) headed for a troubled life because of her alcoholic/drug addicted mother he meets while hitchhiking. When one flashback shows that he will die within the week, he engages in a race against time to save the girl and her mother.This film was not my cup of tea, as the saying goes. The character development seemed minimal, and when it was fleshed out, seemed as if nothing good had ever happened in these people's lives. The film was shot in a gritty, dark way, which fit the story line; but was a little difficult to view as some scenes were difficult to discern due to the extreme darkness of the screen. Admittedly, I'm also not a huge fan of Adrien Brody's. His acting was wonderful in The Pianist, but I have just not been impressed with him since. So, granted, I am biased against the actor, although I'm always willing to be proved wrong, I just wasn't this time. The overly dark sets and lighting were detractors that were too difficult for me to overcome. The story was an interesting one, but perhaps could have been better developed or fleshed out. The Jacket had me hopeful, but in the end left me just wanting a better story out of it.Fans of Adrien Brody's will surely enjoy the film and its message which I thought to be escape. Even though the experiments were so intrusive and painful for Stark, he didn't want them to stop. He used the experiments as an escape. Maybe he wanted to help people; or maybe he just wanted to leave his own reality behind for a little while. Whatever the reason, Stark was anxious to escape. Unfortunately for the audience, poor casting and a convoluted film, made me want to escape while watching it. It's safe to say, I won't be visiting this film again, if I can help it, in this dimension or another.

LeonLouisRicci Not Surprisingly, This Psychological/Time Travel/Life Affirming/Sci-Fi/Horror Show Did Not Do Well at the Box-Office and was Tepidly Reviewed by Critics. Derivative as it May Be, it Presents its Dense, Complex, Story in a Flashy Style with Some Very Good Performances. Besides Adrien Brody Who is Superb, and Keira Knightley Who Struggles Just a Bit, there is Kris Kristofferson Playing a Crusty and Unethical Doctor, Jennifer Jason Leigh as His Counterpart with Scruples, there is a Riveting Daniel Craig as an Inmate in a Small but Compelling Role.The Film is Obviously too Much to Take In for the Mainstream and it's One of Those that is Disjointed by Design and May be Ambiguous to a Fault (especially the ending), but it is a Thriller that Keeps You On Your Toes. It Does So with Enough Artistry and Thoughtfulness to Make it One of Those That is Underrated for its Type. It is Haunting, Terrifying, and Disturbing, but Also Touching and Philosophical in Ways that Some of its Contemporaries Are Not. The Ensemble Working This Film Do Everything They Can to Make it a Palatable Picture for Everyone, but it is Just Too Heavy and Demands Thinking and Contemplation. Something Most in the Audience Might Consider Taxing and Exhausting.Recommended for Others that are Willing and Able to Strap-In and be Taken for a Ride, Fully Aware that the Destination is Anything but Predetermined. It's Just Too Good a Film to be Ignored and Can Most Likely be Appreciated by Discerning Audiences. The Film, Once Again, is Not For Everyone but Worth a Watch to See If It's For You Because of the Professionalism Involved and Because it is Wrapped in a Stunning and Sensitive Package.

NateWatchesCoolMovies The Jacket is an extremely underrated thriller that went mostly overlooked, or was met with lukewarm reviews back in 2005. It's ripe for a revisit, and deserves many. It's moody, disconnected (in the best possible way), sketchy and cold, but at the same time injected with a vital emotional pulse, carried by the ensemble cast's wonderful work, as well as the poignant, exciting screenplay. Adrien Brody magnificently underplays that role of Jack Starks, a psychologically damaged gulf war vet thrown headlong into a web of confusion, violence and time travel following a mysterious incident he has no memory of. The spine chilling, scintillating story takes its time unfolding, with each new reality bending revelation more exciting than the last, and some truly memorable and unique touches that really make it a special film, Jennifer Jason Leigh is outstanding in a supporting role, as is a young Daniel Craig, before he got self conscious and started limiting himself in disappointing roles. The filmmakers give the proceedings a bleak yet hopeful, eerie and downbeat yet oddly exciting, quaint aura, and it's a film that sticks in your memory and your dreams. Highly recommended.

lea-60 A film could not be better.But I was scanning the after-titles, and find it very BAD of the producers to NOT include Jack London, as holder of the original idea.You named the film after him. The Jacket". Adrian Brody got the name "Jack". But our good author from the beginning of the last Century, Jack London, and his novel "The Straightjacket" where a guy travelled in time, did NOT get any credit. That's unprofessional, really.....Anyway. Adrian, miss Scottish as me Knightley (I fell in love...) Kris Kristofferson, and all the rest grand players, a big thank you for being you and having your great talents developed./Lawrence