cbyrne-3

I loved this film because of the terrific acting by Jack Black, who goes completely against his usual type playing Bernie. My book club of seven all loved it, and it's unusual that we all like something equally. We talked about it for a couple of days - certain parts of the film we loved and things we learned from Bernie about cooking and more. The beginning of the film is startling and made my little dark comedic heart sing. A special treat is Jack singing in a variety of styles, the best being his rendition of "Beautiful Dreamer." I am frustrated that a wonderful film like this is in limited release and I had to go out of town to see it. I'd like to see it again with my husband, but we may have to wait until it comes out on DVD. Such a shame, given the total junk that is being shown locally right now.

This film begins mysteriously, first with a woman with flaming antlers on her head, then moving to head-shots of individuals with headphones on, listening to something that is obviously very affecting to many of them. Whatever they are hearing appears to be loved by some and hated by others, but obviously offers each an intense experience. The viewer doesn't know what they are listening to until later, which creates a tension and then a real appreciation of the music when it is finally revealed. I acquired a new method of listening to music by watching this film. I've watched it a number of times, and enjoyed it every time. The director has a number of eccentric friends (I presume they are friends) who appear as his subjects, some of whom seem to be on the verge of having a religious experience through the audio. Paul Festa's latest short, "Glitter Emergency" is completely different, but equally as wonderful, and I'd recommend it to anyone who can find it.

I accidentally tuned into this on an HD channel one night and was immediately captivated by the rhythms. I can't understand why a person would need any intellectual knowledge of or schooling in music to enjoy the dance, movement, and rhythms of Pulse. Even my husband, who is closely wedded to classical music, enjoyed it. It also showed how all of us, around the world, are connected by music and rhythm and can respond to that, even if it's not in our background or familiar to our culture. The film is one of those rare ones that not only entertains, but gives one a good feeling about other people - such a rare feeling these days.