Mister Johnson

This is a good drama with a very touching ending.Pierce Brosnan does one of his best roles ever as friend of "Mr.Johnson",a Nigerian who sees himself as englishman.The way this film ends makes it big.

See this but take a few tissues if you are soft hearted. 7 out of 10

This is a wonderful film that captures the flavor of working in the African bush more accurately than any film I've seen. The gentle cultural clash between Mr. Johnson and the road builder (Pierce Brosnan) is exactly as I've experienced it with so many workers. And Mr. Johnson's downfall caused by his inner conflict (being pulled from his traditional roots down into the beguiling but unaffordable Western abyss) could have been the autobiography of too many African funtionaires I've known.

Poignant exploration and depiction of a person with dreams and aspirations. Not your typical film. Based on novel by Joyce Cary (very good novel) and pretty much sticking to the book's plot etc., this story should touch your feelings fairly deeply and perhaps make you think about the illusions (delusions) and impossibilities that drench many people's lives. Beresford (Driving Miss daisy, Breaker Morant) directs tautly and beautifully. Watching this film should make you a wiser, deeper person--don't miss it. (will probably have to buy copy from Amazon or ebay or perhaps from netflix.) Set in Africa, colonial theme is important. Moreover, racial dimension (protagonist is black) makes the story edge towards the politically incorrect. The hero's skin color is significant, but he is not a victim of racism--at least not in liberal's knee-jerk way.

The cinematography was truly lovely, it's natural colors blended with the story telling so thoroughly, I sat in the dark fascinated by this syncopation. The film has a huge cast, and filming in the African sun, it had to be a difficult.

I loved the talent. Every character was real.

I loved the story --the collision of two cultures at the beginning.

Most of all I love the character of Mister Johnson as portrayed by Maynard Eziashi. His behavior seemed typical of the era. And African villagers seemed so gentle and accepting of foreign intrusion. Maybe it was that way in the beginning.

Joyce Cary wrote a very sweet, sort of tragic story. I wish all films contained this truth, warmth and humanity.

"Mister Johnson" is, first and foremost, a comedy. I must say this, because it's far too light-headed to be a serious dramatic film. Although, whatever the case, I can't say it's the most compelling story. The title character (played by Maynard Eziashi) isn't as sympathetic as the script might intend him to be. He steals, he cheats, he tries his best to be an Englishman, all to much self-detriment.

From a artistic standpoint, as well, this is not an especially engaging tale. Bruce Beresford has displayed a lot of subtlety in other films, but there's something about "Mister Johnson" that falls quite flat for me. I wanted to like it, because I nearly always enjoy Beresford's films. In the end, it's the performances by Eziashi and Brosnan that make this worth watching. They create characters you can get into, even though lacking a script that deserves it.