Echos of Enlightenment

It is one of the those films that you must see more than once. A film that has many levels, and makes you think and reflect on life. It is a journey of the soul, and a film that reminds me of a famous line from a famous play: "Most people live their life in quiet desperation."

The spiritual journey of Daniel Coplan unfolds much like the spiritual journey that many of us find ourselves on: Confusing, painful, humorous and inspirational, anything but boring. Echos of Enlightenment is stylistically similar to books like Robert Persig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and movies like Memento, with the philosophical weight of What Dreams May Come. If you are in the mood for a 'brainstem' evening of movie watching, Echos of Enlightenment is not the movie to see. It requires the full attention of the viewer, prompting each to reflect on the state of their current existence.

One especially 'enlightening' aspect of the film is the look at the life of a lawyer. Mr. Coplan (Director) does a particularly good job of illustrating the tedium and minutia that can (and does) drive individuals to brink of implosion. I for one will never become an attorney after seeing this movie.

Echos of Enlightenment, while not technically perfect, is a film told in a unique and interesting fashion. Its subject matter is worthy of the art of cinema and should be explored more often. Thank you Mr. Coplan. Please make more movies.

The only thing that kept me watching this movie to the end was my stubbornness. I am very surprised at the decent reviews this movie has gotten-- did I watch a different movie? Did I somehow miss what I was looking for-- depth, insight, humor, characters who evoke an emotional response (any emotional response!). None of this was in "Echos". Instead, what is offered is watered down Buddhism mixed with the Celestine Prophecies and a hint of Richard Bach; terrible acting; creepy whispered voice overs... Ugh. This movie bored me and made my skin crawl at the same time. It seems that this movie was attempting to capture the joy and grace of enlightenment reached in "I Heart Huckabees"--- and failed miserably. Save yourself from watching this movie-- you will never get the time back...

What a surprise!

A sleazy lawyer stumbles upon enlightenment!

This film is grounded in the expression of the Buddha nature. I think this is the first time the essence of Buddhism is expressed on the screen. Even if the quote from the Lotus Sutra is unrecognizable to the general audience, everyone can relate to the impact of a single life on so many others and the struggle for meaning in life.

The route to Daniel's enlightenment was laced with social commentary and humor about the mundane routine of life. The lawyer's daily trudging his cases up to the courthouse was a great motif for showing the increasing burden his life and his unraveling before he finds enlightenment. Daniel's struggle between his humanity and his dreary work is something many people can relate to. (I'm especially recommending this to my lawyer friends).

Very good actors, well cast. The direction, camera work, and editing were well done--better than many movies emerging from the independent market. (Clerks, Chuck and Buck come to mind). Visually interesting, particularly that scene where his suicide is envisioned. Powerfully presented.

Sitting through this movie made me realize just how gullible I am by believing a good tag line. This movie, on paper, looks good. I liked the idea, and am not biased toward poor cinematics, poor dialog, and poor acting if the plot or narrative of a story is really original and fresh. Often times all those overcome a poor plot in Hollywood, and sometimes, a superb plot can overcome them.

Sadly, it doesn't happen here.

This movie is a metaphorical train wreck that I kept hoping would reach the destination no matter how horrible the journey - and it doesn't.

Just skip it and watch "The grand canyon" again if you're looking for enlightenment of the human condition.