A remake of a (73-minute) 1934 Fredric March movie, Death Takes a Holiday, this three-hour romantic fantasy stars Brad Pitt as an aptly angelic Death, come to take businessman Anthony Hopkins, but staying on Earth for a few days off, long enough to fall for Claire Forlani as Hopkins' daughter. There are no surprises in this film, pretty much a sell in view of the length, which can partly be attributed to the huge pauses between lines. And far too much time is spent on the wimpy romance - yes, they do get to take each other's clothes off (very artistically) - and too little on Hopkins' last-ditch attempts to save his business empire. There are a few killer lines towards the end that raise a tear or two, but it's a long, long wait. Best performance by a mile: Marcia Gay Harden as the lesser-loved of Hopkins' two daughters.
