K-PAX

Two incredibly different halves. While the first one is captivating, thoughtful, full of valuable ideas, the second one is scattered, with a poor script deviation and too much pseudo-psychology – it looks like it switched to a completely different film. Pleasant philosophy is alternated with hard-to-believe psychology, which ultimately spoils the whole impression and gives the feeling that they didn't know what they were doing. (02/03/2014)

Acting exhibitions and atmospheric direction in a story that unfortunately can't handle itself. I applaud any film that makes the passive viewer think and plays with their deepening expectations, hence the 4*, but I guess I'd have to be on a completely different mental or intellectual state to get a satisfactory interpretation of the twist and the overall meaning here – and I'm really not sure if it's a more evolved or more primitive state... That said, Kevin Spacey is a phenomenal actor. 80% (05/20/2011)

A smart and very enjoyable film thanks to the absence of clichés and cynicism. Although the story is built mostly on dialogues, it kept me in suspense the whole time I was waiting for the final resolution. The viewer will appreciate the ornate dialogue, and some scenes, such as the one in the planetarium, are sure to give you chills. The impeccable impression of the film is enhanced by the great cinematography, music and, of course, Spacey's one-man-show, about which there is no point in going into more detail. (09/17/2002)

Excellent actors, sensitive directing. But what’s up with that screenplay? From roughly the midpoint (the first hypnosis), K-PAX develops in a direction that’s completely different from where it was initially headed and its conclusion is the culmination of a story that never took off in the film! Not to mention that the hopes offered by the promising start and the whole first half are thus sucked into a black hole between Mercury and Pluto. (08/17/2002)

An interesting conversational drama that manages to entertain despite the absence of any significant plot. Great performances, beautiful cinematography, the script is a bit weaker in the last act, but overall, this is a nice film. The ending feels pretty ambiguous, so you can choose your own interpretation. I’m satisfied with it, four stars. (06/11/2009)