Last night I had every intention of watching L.A. Confidential (1997). I’ve never seen it before but I’ve been meaning to watch it since it’s on my “films I should’ve seen by now but haven’t” list.
For some reason though, at the last minute I decided to watch a film I haven’t seen since the very first time I saw it about 15-20 years ago:
K-PAX (2001)
I remember this movie making an impression on me the first time around but I forgot just how good it was till I watched it again last night.
If you haven’t seen it, it’s a sci-fi, mystery, drama starring Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski) and Kevin Spacey (Seven).
It’s based on the 1995 book of the same name written by Gene Brewer. There are actually five books in the series but this film is based on the first.
This is what it’s about:
A mysterious man (Spacey) appears at Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan claiming to be from a distant planet called K-PAX. He’s promptly picked up by police and admitted to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation.
As his psychiatrist (Bridges) tries to figure out exactly how to help the patient, he begins to realise that the so-called alien not only has knowledge of things far beyond that of the average “sane” human being, but that he’s having a remarkable effect on the mental health of the hospital's other patients.
I know Kevin Spacey has fallen from grace in recent years, but just like I’m not going to stop listening to Michael Jackson’s music, I’m not going to stop watching Kevin Spacey’s films. Whatever people think of him and whatever he’s guilty of, he’s still a talented actor who has made some excellent films and this is one of them.
The story is brilliant and it grabs you right from the start!
“Is he really an alien? Is he delusional? How does he know so much? Why does he have such an effect on the other patients?”
You just have to keep watching to find out!
Both Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges are brilliant in this movie but it’s Spacey who steals the show, especially during the first hypnosis scene.👌
If you haven’t seen it I strongly recommend giving it a watch. It’s like a cross between One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) and Starman (1984 - ironically also starring Jeff Bridges).