Diagonaldi Very well executed

StunnaKrypto Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

ScoobyMint Disappointment for a huge fan!

Leoni Haney Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

bjacob I agree with what Roger Ebert has written about this movie: something in the style of "it knows all the moves but has no payoff and it doesn't go anywhere". It's interesting as a portrait of (very) early middle age but eventually you're left with a question: "so what?".There are also some minor inconsistencies which are each very forgivable but all together contribute to the disconnect I feel towards this movie: it's clearly set in the 80s but the characters are supposed to have a past rooted in the 60s counterculture, and yet they seem so relatively young. And yet they have turned that page pretty swiftly, and made it big, while continuing from time to time to utter oddly naive considerations. There's a lot of music in the film, diegetic and not. Sometimes we get whole songs while the characters do stuff in the background, and it seems a bit of a narrative copt-out.For the positives: it's very well acted and contains several genuinely funny moments. But I struggle to see what's supposed to be "seminal" about it. There's another film on a very similar theme, "Le déclin de l'empire americain" -- which feels infinitely more real and poignant than this one.

lasttimeisaw A surprising Oscar's BEST PICTURE nominee, writer/director Lawrence Kasdan's sophomore feature THE BIG CHILL focuses on a weekend reunion of seven 30-something alumni of the University of Michigan, 15 years after leaving the ivory tower, but what convenes them together is anything but jovial, their friend Alex's shocking suicide. The overhanging question shrouds the cohort of eight, joined by Chloe, Alex's much younger girlfriend, is what is the reason behind Alex's given up on his life, but like Alex himself, whom we are not privileged to see in his physical form (Kevin Costner is cast as Alex but all his scenes with his facial appearance are left in the editing room), it is elusive and open-ended, it might be just as well a spur-of-the-moment decision out of depression. In lieu of solving the mystery, Kasdan takes in his stride to examine the sophisticated interrelations among our subjects, who begin to introspect their own feelings in the aftermath through gingerly disposed small talks and congenial interactions infrequently salted with discord and liaisons. Pivoted around a ballast of camaraderie, nothing egregiously dark will emerge to tickle a cynical mind, Sarah (a radiant and Oscar-nominated Glenn Close in the mode of a good wife/mother which in retrospect appears at a premium in her tracking record) admits that she had an affair with Alex, which unfortunately dampens their friendship, before marrying Harold (Kevin Kline, full of panache), the ultimate version of an understanding and competent husband, who has no qualms at the bidding of her wife to become an inseminator of Meg (Mary Kay Place, embodies the career woman stereotype with considerable pizazz and tizzy), who adopts a modern view of independence and plans to become a single mother of her own accord when the biological clock starts ticking. As per the likability quotient of their characters, in the descending order, the next-in-line is Karen (JoBeth Williams, a fine performance), a housewife forgoes her writing dreams to raise her children and gets bored with her stagnant marriage, the reunion tantalizingly rekindles her romance with her old admirer Sam (Tom Berenger, emits a refreshing air of forthright amiability and attractive unassumingness before being typecast in the villain compartment, for keeps), a well-known TV actor in L.A., divorced but sagacious enough not to wreck a family just for the old time's sake (after a mutually desired consummation, of course). Then the only new blood, Chloe (a lissom Meg Tilly channeling a less convincing orbit wobbling between a barmy nymphet and a post-traumatic soul), takes a liking to Nick (William Hurt, tangibly tackling the most complex character here with searing precision), a Porsche-riding, pill-popping Vietnam veteran who has no place called home and stigmatized by impotence, whose defeatist outlook cuts through the sweeping but bland melancholia like a scalpel, before receding to its residing harbor in the well-intentioned but anodyne ending. Finally, Michael (a jaunty Jeff Goldblum) is a People Magazine's writer who seeks both a new career opportunity and some carnal dalliance, falls between those two stools at length, nevertheless his can-do spirit is always in full swing to bring exuberance. A cracking ensemble piece punctuated by a potpourri of hit parade ear-worms, THE BIG CHILL enthralls viewers with its fabricated spontaneity, palpable warmth and liberating candor, yet as a matter of fact, there is a discerning aftertaste apropos of the elephant-in-the-room: "Who is this enigmatic, gone but not forgotten Alex and what drives him to his undoing?", after all, is it a tactful circumvention as an enigma is better left in lacunae or a flagrant glossing-over in favor of something less perturbing? The jury is out, seemly.

TheUniquePerception This one has it all. If you ever had a really tight knit group of school friends that you absolutely love and then spent years without them, this film will allow you to feel like you are having a reunion with your friends. The closeness, inside jokes, various personalities, mini-dramas all add to the flavor. The soundtrack is one of the best of all time and the storytellers use the music to connect the audience with the characters. For such a large cast of strong actors, this group does a wonderful job not to overshadow one another. It is a harmonious blend of styles and personalities that can make solid use of non-verbal communication. I have viewed thousands of movies. Very, very few deserve a second viewing. The Big Chill is one that I have enjoyed at least ten times over the years.

dansview As one reviewer here mentioned already, there is not much talent in choosing extremely popular music hits to fit an era-specific film. I would be more intrigued if they chose obscure songs from the time or even psychedelic instrumental music from the 60's.It's like if you did a movie about people who went to college in the 80's and the soundtrack was Duran Duran, Madonna, and Michael Jackson. Big Deal. I never understood why people compliment soundtracks that are just some mega-hits playing in the background to fit the era depicted in a film.Why did they all go to University of Michigan? Only one character now lives in Michigan. Some were raised in the South, and others generic. Where did William Hurt's character drive in from in an old Porsche? I've seen this film several times and I did not see Kevin Costner in any coffin. It must have been a quick shot. But I'm pretty sure he is way too young to have gone to college in the 60's.Congratulations to the writers and director for putting in some defense of conservatism. Two different characters explain the virtues of the conservative life and point out the childish self-indulgent nature underlying the 60's mentality.Why did Hurt's character go to Vietnam if they were all radicals? Did he get drafted? He had a Masters Degree. He would have been in college for the whole war. No one even mentions his army service, either to thank him or condemn him for it.Other than hearing about it in passing, there is no indication that Hurt and Williams' characters had been a couple in school. I saw little if any affection between them.I loved the scenery. I guess it was South Carolina or some such place.I don't like to see multiple adulteries depicted. But it was not necessarily condoning the acts, but rather saying that this is what those kinds of characters might do.When we watch a film, we need to remember that the film makers are not necessarily endorsing the actions of the characters they create. They are just making them do things that fit their personalities. It wouldn't be much of a movie if no one did anything wrong.I think the two conservative characters balanced the message of this film. Which is that the way to change the world is to take responsibility for yourself, your family, and your community. That doesn't entail simply protesting stuff or denouncing things. It consists of hard work, dedication,delayed gratification, and loyalty.Good dialogue overall, but they could have implemented a few deeper passages, like in the movie Network. Hence my title. It was like it wasn't sure if it wanted to be a lighthearted reunion picture, or make some deep statement about life. I think it was ultimately the first, with a little of the second.