Mr. Jones

As a sufferer myself, I found this film very reassuring that my actions are not totally alien. It was both entertaining and supportive. Geres' line that he needs the highs to be able to cope with the lows just shows an understanding into the illness. This is well acted, well written and well worth watching.

I don't know very much about bipolar depression, aside from reading biographies of Robert Lowell, the poet. I have to say though that Richard Gere is outstanding in this movie. It started showing on ITV2 and his performance drew me into the story- I had to watch it to the end.

It's a brave premise for a Hollywood film but "Mr. Jones" is let down by a flawed script. I was offended by the way the doctor was portrayed. Of course she was played by a stunning actress, of course she became attached to her patient- to the point of invading his privacy by looking up his friends from his time at music college twenty years earlier. Oh, and of course (SPOILER- in more ways than one) she slept with him as well. She offers to resign which keeps her from being professionally ruined – sorry, but I can't see a qualified and experienced psychiatrist falling in love with her patient, let along sleeping with him while he's still under treatment. The ending peters out as well- to suggest that they will become a couple, I suppose.

The hospital scenes are strong and moving, as is the the subplot about the young student. This could have been an interesting study of people in emotional distress. Too bad they couldn't match Mr. Jones with unsentimental and uncompromising portraits of those trying to help him.

In this intense and emotional tale of compassion, rescue and love, director Mike Figgis portrays the antithesis of the Richard Gere he had shown us three years before Mr. Jones' release: A needy, fragile, unstable yet creative and fascinating character versus the sinister, cold-blooded and self-confident officer Dennis Peck in Internal Affairs.

Gere's ability to absorb the script and bring it to life through his inimitable histrionic demeanor has once again amazed me, bringing me into the scene as if I were observing from behind the camera. Another example of a woman assisting a man throughout his struggle is Figgis' Leavign Las Vegas, where Elizabeth Shue chooses to be by Nicholas Cages' side, with the exception of a very sad ending (In this case we had pills instead of bottles). From Final Analysis, Gear switches into the patient's role, making us hold our breath and, needless to say, get a good use out of our handkerchiefs.

Based on the first few minutes, I was expecting a comedy about a happy-go-lucky construction worker who displays unconventional behavior. Even after his first trip to a mental hospital, I figured this would be a romantic comedy about a fun guy and the pretty female psychiatrist who wants to prove he's wacko.

Actually, she is right about him. He is manic-depressive. The man who only refers to himself as "Mr. Jones" doesn't believe he is manic-depressive because he would have to get depressed. We haven't seen it and surely it's not true, right? Wrong. This is a very troubled man. He will need a lot of care, and we must be prepared to go through some hard times with him.

Richard Gere did a very good job. Naturally, I liked him best when he was fun. His character seems "normal" because this is a movie, but that soon changes. Gere effectively shows a wide range of personality styles, though this is nothing groundbreaking.

Delroy Lindo is a standout performer as Howard, the co-worker who apparently saves Mr. Jones' life. Although they work together less than a full day (I assume), they become close friends. Some of my favorite scenes have Gere and Lindo together.

Baha Jackson does a good job as Howard's son.

Lauren Tom briefly appears as a bubbly, fast-talking, excited patient. Too bubbly. She's going to have to crash--and she does.

Whether you like this movie or not depends on whether you want comedy or drama. I found enough scenes enjoyable.

I had the pleasure and privilege of seeing Mike Figgis' original cut at the Munich Filmfestival, and liked it a lot. To be honest, I had liked the version that came out in 1993, although I had heard rumors of re-shoots and Figgis not having final cut - and although there were some ridiculous scenes in it. Figgis' version is more believable, albeit darker, but that does make sense, since it is about a manic depressive. Richard Gere is pretty impressive, and it is one of the few times that he's still good when he's doing his free-wheeling high-wire act. But the saddest part about "Mr. Jones" not being recognized for its great moments is the understated performance of Lena Olin, who is almost as good as in "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" (1988) and in the second season of "Alias".

There's one thing about "Mr. Jones" that's better than the movie itself: the story behind the film. Figgis has incredible stories to tell about the production of the movie and we can only hope that one day he'll share them with us in detail in a book, because it says a lot about Hollywood and its inability to cope with non-mainstream themes.