Le porteur

Although I am watching this movie at this moment I am certain it is stable enough to comment on. The film is somewhat of a parody on relationships and relationship movies. The acting, scenes and writing are quite good. At some times this movie makes points, however it is mostly a silly movie to be enjoyed. More a movie to mellow on, it would be best to rent other films and use this film in between blockbusters. Pleasant would best describe this film with easy music and nice scenes and lots of scene changes it carries well. Somewhat nostalgic in feeling. A special mix here is the good fortune of Tom Thompson (David Schwimmer) that his actions are always amplified as altruistic. Be sure not to expect this to be the "everything, drivemecrazy" film because it is not, yet in this film everything plays off of Tom who as all fabled heroes may have his troubles when others realize his true actions. Some sexual content with very little violence.

The Pallbearer will be compared with The Graduate. A graduate (Tom, played by David Schwimmer), only one year later, has an affair with an older woman. She is the mother of a dead guy named Bill. Tom did not know Bill but the mother thinks he was his best friend. He plays along. The affair starts but Tom is really in love with a younger girl named Julie (Gwyneth Paltrow). So far this is a lot like The Graduate and in my opinion this wasn't a good part of the movie although it had its funny scenes.

The comparison with The Graduate holds on in the main plot-line may be, but The Pallbearer takes a different way in the way it is shown to us. I liked how the movie developed from that moment on. Especially the ending is well-chosen.

David Schwimmer was a better lead than I expected, he wasn't that bad. Most funny scenes were happening because of him. Gwyneth Paltrow was lovely and for me she made sure I liked the movie a little more. It is not very good but it has a couple of good laughs, a nice story and a nice chemistry between Schwimmer and Paltrow.

I would suspect that most reviewers on this page are disappointed for not being handed the cookie cutter romantic comedy that the poster art for this film suggests. Not getting the conventional romantic comedy was what I liked most about this well written and darkly hilarious film. In THE PALLBEARER, we are shown the effect that Gwyneth Paltrow's character has on David Shwimmer's character. In the end, Tom's the guy we're meant to focus on, not Julie, or even the relationship between the two. Even if the general consensus is that this film is sub-par, I'll have to stick to my conclusion that THE PALLBEARER was an exceptionally made black comedy.

This is a romantic comedy about a young man who is thrown through a roller coaster when he is asked to be a pallbearer at the funeral of a high school classmate he doesn't remember, and, in the process, runs into his high school crush.

As with many romantic comedies, in this movie, people meet, date, fall in love, make love, break-up and try to go on with their lives. There is a lack of suspense and intrigue in this movie, but some character development and heartfelt moments. The mediocre acting, though, made this a not-so-funny flick. If you're a fan of romantic comedies, it won't hurt to look for others.

Grade D+

I wasn't sure what to expect about this movie. I remembered that it was a "bomb" when it appeared in theatres so I kept passing it by at the video store. It's often out but I'm glad that I took the time to watch it. I thought the characters were appealing & the situations they found themselves in rang true. A 25 year old floundering around, messing up with his friends was fitting. David Schwimmer isn't my favorite but the movie played to his strengths, and you can see that Gwyneth is due to break out as a star plus the rest of the cast is solid. I am especially glad that I didn't read the comments until I saw the movie. I see the negative points but if you approach the movie as a quirky romantic comedy with a dark twist you will be entertained & laugh & smile some too.