User reviews

This is mainly a two-actor film with Harvey Keitel playing a low-key (at least for him!) character and Mia Sorvino playing his young girlfriend. They dominate the story.

In an odd way, this is an interesting film although a bit "soapy" in parts for my tastes. It has a bit of a mystifying element with this strange stone as part of the story, yet they don't elaborate on it. Actually, this is more of a romance story....but at leaves a number of questions. One doesn't quite figure out Willem Dafoe's character is in here and the ending was very strange and not altogether satisfying, either. Perhaps another look or two would have been a better option before writing this. I haven't read any reviews but I suspect people really got into this film and liked it or were bored to death. Actually, I was somewhere in the middle. I was more interested in the cinematography.

Note: "Lulu" is named for a character played by silent screen star Louise Brooks.

How you feel about this film may depend on your tolerance for its plot, one that has become very familiar in recent years (two words: Sixth Sense). That said, this particular version of the idea, chronicling the romance between a jazz musician played by Harvey Keitel and a struggling actress played by Mira Sorvino, is murkier than it needs to be. Their scenes together are very convincing but once the film has played out, what has gone before doesn't make a whole lot of sense. There are a lot of familiar faces in the cast including Vanessa Redgrave, Gina Gershon and for music fans, Don Byron, Lou Reed and David Byrne.

"Lulu on the Bridge" is pointless nonsense featuring some fine acting talent which is stifled by the absence of a worthy story. Anybody could have written this piece of amateurish drivel which is no more than a contemporary fairy tale. Granted there are good and bad fairy tales. This is a bad one which is why anyone could have written it. Recommended for no one.

I see that opinions for Lulu are either 'I loved it' or 'I hated it.' There's a good reason. This is a very different film, with spiritual and other-worldly overtones -- it's definitely spooky. I could not have imagined where the story finally ended up, but it requires a lot of imagination to understand it (think, "Where does the mind go when it loses consciousness? And, what is the real meaning of 'time'?"). If you don't like it, that's fine -- maybe you just don't get it. Nothing wrong with that -- it's pretty deep. But for me, it's a form of pure entertainment that I cannot find anywhere else. I loved it. I bought a copy on DVD. I tell my friends about it. The ending is a definite surprise, but there are lots of other surprises throughout. Why not find out for yourself?

Some authors, as is the case with Paul Auster, can involve a reader with a novel. Mr. Auster, with a few exceptions, has produced a body of work that will be his legacy. Alas, this is not going to be the case of his directorial career. Like Julian Schnabel, a painter turned film director, Paul Auster seems to be a logical candidate for bringing his stories to the screen, but as proved by this effort, one hopes he keeps his day time job.

The large, talented cast of "Lulu on the Bridge" can't overcome some of the problems the film presents. The mixture of a thriller with esoterica sounds like an intriguing idea for a film, but as one witness the movie unfolds it's clear these elements don't mix well together under the director's guidance with the screen play he wrote. The film has moments in which it transcends and shows a promise of working, but in the end, it's too contrived for its own good.

Even an intense performer like Harvey Keitel is bogged down by a character that doesn't awake much interest in the viewer. Mira Sorvino is, in our humble opinion, terribly miscast. There is no chemistry between the two main characters. William Dafoe, Victor Argo, Vanessa Redgrave, Lou Reed, Gina Gershon are seen in minor roles.

I found this film very enjoyable and also challenging. Whether this is by accident or intention I won't pretend to know, but watching this film is quite an interesting and enjoyable experience. Rather than filling the screen with explosions and forecasting every plot twist three or four times so even the least attentive viewing will get the point, this film takes a different approach. It wraps the viewer in ambiance and possibility, leaving them to determine the meanings and possible meaning of the events. It's nice to find a film that doesn't hold a low opinion of viewers. We don't have to be taken by hand and walked through every scene. Imagination and subtlety are also part of film, and I for one am glad to see films like this that challenge and respect the audience.

Being an eager fan of Paul Austers writing I was very excited to get a chance to watch a film which he had both written and directed. All of his novels are clever, philosophical, and thrilling at the same time.

This movie, however, was a huge disappointment! The whole story, the script, and especially the pretentious acting made the watching of this film a semi-horror. Sorry to say, my idol, Paul Auster obviously has achieved a master degree in writing novels, while the form of a movie script seems to suit him all too badly.

My hopes for the future are twofold: either Mr. Auster learns from this experience how to do better movies or, simply, he'll stick to what he does best: writing novels!

As for all of you who have only seen this film and not read any of his novels: go now! to the library and dig in!

This movie is an original - a gem. Fifteen minutes after it was over I began weeping - I was so touched. It is never too late. One can lead a rotten life, but there is always hope - even in the strangest of times - to find love and to become a person worthy of being loved in return. To provide more details would undermine the movie's original theme. Indeed, the description on this web page is not at all what the film is really about. I don't know why the ratings aren't higher. Perhaps the movie is lost on impatient souls who need lots of action to keep their attention intact.

I really enjoyed watching this film, even though the ending seems abrupt and unsatisfying. The performances, especially by Harvey Keitel and Mira Sorvino, are truely exceptional and the mystical mood of the film is compelling.

The weak spot is the screenplay, which has as many plot holes as a hunk o' swiss cheese. Still, I would watch Lulu again for the acting and ambiance alone.

As much as I like Harvey Keitel, I gave LuLu a run because John Lurie and Richard Edson have a way of ending up in cool off beat films (with the subtle caveat that Edson has done a ton of trash but usually not with Lurie in tow). On the other hand, Auster has never excited me. "Smoke" was in no way memorable and neither Wayne Wang, Lou Reed, Lili Tomlin, or Jim Jarmusch could elevate "Blue in the Face" beyond the mundane. Yet, truth be told, the state of cinema is so bad these days that Auster's mundane is leagues above main stream Hollywood, thus I return to his work. That being said, this effort is an absolute waste of time. The ending was no surprise and why was that? Because of a little film called "Jacob's Ladder". If you have seen this work by Adrian Lyne then spare yourself this low brow rip off. If you haven't seen it, do so and save yourself from this low brow rip off. Whatever you do, do not listen to the director's commentary on the DVD version. I hope Auster was drunk because what little dribble he managed to focus on the ethos and pathos of the film, was so insipid as to make it difficult to ever trust his work again. This was my first experience of a DVD providing me too much information by removing any benefit of doubt I had given his writing. Alas, another writer/director falls upon the dung heap of Hollywood.

Lulu On The Bridge is an odd one, and that's a compliment. It subtly strains at the constrictions of genre until you realize just how unique it has gotten right under your nose. I've always thought of it as the Abel Ferrara fiom that he never made. Harvey Keitel delivers a home run of a lead performance as Izzy Maurer, a renowned jazz musician who loses his ability to play after he is shot by a lunatic gunman (Kevin Corrigan) while he is performing his music in a cafe. He sinks into a deep depression following the incident, and then something curious happens. One day he finds a mysterious stone, with a phone number attached to it and some seemingly supernatural qualities which alter the psyche, mood and perception of anyone in its vicinity. The phone number leads him to Celia Burns (the ever excellent and under estimated Mira Sorvino), an aspiring actress who's fallen just south of the success line, and has a taste for Izzy's music. The two seem destined to meet and as you might guess, begin a passionate love affair that begins to get a bit obsessive, with strong hints directed towards the stone that seems to govern will and volition. Their romance is hot, heavy and volatile, threatened when a mysterious man named Dr. Can Horn (a classy but dangerous Willem Dafoe) separately kidnaps them in attempt to retrieve the stone. The script deliberately shades over its true intentions until the very last minute, stopping to pick many dialogue and thematic flowers along the way, as well as leave a few red herrings behind. Gina Gershon is great as Izzy's ex wife, and the monumantal supporting cast also includes Richard Edson, the great Victor Argo, Harold Perrineau, Mandy Patinkin, Vanessa Redgrave and a brief Lou Reed who is pricelessly credited as 'Not Lou Reed'. If you snag a DVD you can also see deleted scenes work from Stockard Channing, Jared Harris, Josef Sommer and Giancarlo Esposito. The film attempts music, mystery, doomed love, urban mysticism, thriller and drama elements. I'm happy to report that it succeeds at all of them, a gem not unlike the mcguffin stone within the plot, and a haunting little modern fairy tale. Check it out.

I know that it was not, but it seemed like this film was about six hours long. Now by saying that, I am not implying you get your money's worth, quite the opposite. What I want to know, is how you could put together a cast this interesting and make a film so boring. I would feed you the plot, but it would bore you so much you would stop reading this review. Meanwhile, the "Academy Award Winning" Mira Sorvino (choke choke gasp gasp) is more and more being referenced with "I can't believe the Academy actually gave her an award." Cheer up, Mira, Angelina Jolie got one as well, she will take some heat off of you. * out of ****.

I saw this little gem of a film last year, forgot about it, then decided to buy it. On a second viewing I realized how much I missed the first time around. The scientific/mythical/mystical/spiritual interpretations are left up to the individual, and I found myself leaning toward the mystical/spiritual, especially when the film-within-a-film (Pandora's Box) entered the plot. While some might have felt this whole episode was irrelevant, to me it was central in a kind of a skewed way that wasn't really developed. Anyone familiar with the myth of Pandora's Box will recognize the significance of the "rock in the box" that causes lives to change in a dramatic, profound way. Izzy's state of consciousness during the film is simply a device -an interesting one- to tell a story.

Seeing Dafoe and Keitel working together again (first time since Last Temptation of Christ?) was a delight. Both are capable of a tremendous range, but chose restraint in this film, and it worked. The interogation scenes in the warehouse were mesmerizing. I love this film!

**SPOILERS** Strange little movie that has to do with a man who's forced to see himself for who he really is not who he want's people, as well as himself, to think what's he's really not.

Famous jazz saxophone player Izzy Maurer, Harvey Keitel,is doing his gig at a Greenwich Village night spot when this deranged lunatic bursts in with a gun blazing away and catches Izzy with a bullet in his left-lung and then turns the gun on himself. Izzy recovering from this life-threatening injury at a local NYC hospital is told that his left lung had to be removed and that he'll never be able to play the saxophone again. This to Izzy is like being told that he died.

Alone and depressed Izzy walks the streets of New York aimlessly until one night when he comes across this body in a dark alley shot dead with a bullet in his head. Checking out the stiffs wallet Izzy finds out that the dead mans name is Stanley Mar and among his personal effects is a napkin with a telephone number written on it and a small box that has a smaller box in it with a small red-striped stone.

At his apartment Izzy finds that the stone has these strange magical powers that he just can't phantom and then calls the phone number on Mar's napkin to find that it belongs to a Celia Burns, Mira Sorvino. Celia is ironically listening to a CD of Izzy's music when he calls her! Izzy makes a date with Celia to come over and when he does he treats her so rudely that she almost asks him to leave or she'll call the police. It's only when Izzy explains to Celia about the stone, that emits a bright and soft blue light and levitates as well as shows her it's strange powers that she realizes, like he did, that it's something beyond the forces of nature! The stone also seems to have magical powers of healing and creating luck for those who have it in their possession. It's after that strange meeting the two besides falling madly in love with each other have things start to change for the better for both of them.

Celia a struggling young actress who supports herself as a waitress working gets a major part, in fact the leading role, in the movie "Pandoras Box" playing the role of it's star Lulu. Izzy's depression suddenly disappears because of his affair, and attachment, to Celia but there's things that are about to break that will turn this blissful dream for the two lovebirds into a dark and terrifying nightmare.

Traveling to Dublin Ireland to do the movie Celia tells Izzy to keep in touch by phone and come visit her but as the days go by there's no word at all from Izzy. Getting kidnapped back in New York by a bunch of hoodlums who think that he has Stanley's Mar's "magic stone", which he gave to Celia, Izzy is locked up in this empty warehouse and threatened with death if he doesn't talk.

Celia shooting the movie "Pandora's Box" is a sensation on the set but at the same time is worried about her love Izzy who she hasn't heard from since she left New York. She soon get's so depressed by not hearing from him that one evening Celia, feeling dejected and abandoned, throws the "magic stone" into the nearby Liffey River.

Being visited by this pseudo-shrink Dr. Van Horn, Willem DeFoe,Izzy is mentally tortured about his past and what a low-life rat he was to both his dad who's funeral he didn't attend and older brother Franz who hasn't spoken to him for seven years because of that. Izzy is about to break under Dr. Van Horn's brain-twisting tactics when he finally breaks out of his confinement and runs to the safety of the home of his friend Philip Kleinman,Mandy Patinkin,who's involved in the film that Celia is staring in.

To both his surprise and shock Izzy finds that Celia had disappeared just before the filming of "Pandora's Box" was finished! It later turned that the poor girl committed suicide when after being chased by Dr. Van Horn and two of his goons thinking that she had the mystical stone on her Celia jumped off the Dublin Ha'Penny Bridge into the Liffey River and her body was never recovered.

Izzy sobbing and in a state of complete depression sits alone in his apartment watching the out-takes, that Philip gave him, of the movie "Pandora's Box" with Celia in them. It's then that the biggest surprise of all in the movie "Lulu on the Bridge" is about to come and hit the audience with the force of a sledge hammer right between their eyes! A real honest to goodness LuLu!

Unreleased theatrical feature, first seen on cable-TV and video, isn't particularly well-made yet has a mysterious quality and fine performances which make it worth-finding. Harvey Keitel plays a jazz musician sidelined by a gunshot wound who hooks up with waitress/actress Mira Sorvino by chance. Film's objective is to show the criss-crossing patterns of human lives, as well as being a modern-day play on Pandora's Box. It features plenty of emotion and feeling, and it works wonders despite some crass dialogue and a finale that isn't really satisfying (it feels truncated). However, the central relationship between Keitel and Sorvino is tremendously charismatic; Keitel in particular is surprisingly warm and real. **1/2 from ****

While playing saxophone in a jazz club, Izzy Maurer (Harvey Keitel) is shot into the chest by a lunatic. He is submitted to a long surgery, where he loses one lung and has a problem in one hand. When the hospital releases him, he is depressed since he cannot play anymore, and does not want to have contact with any telephone caller. His ex-wife Hannah (Gina Gershon) visits him and invites Izzy to have dinner with her husband that is his friend, the producer Philip Kleinman (Mandy Patinkin), and the former actress and now director Catherine Moore (Vanessa Redgrave). During the dinner party, he learns that Philip and Catherine intend to remake "The Pandora Box" in Dublin. While walking back home, Izzy sees a dead man with a bullet into his forehead and a briefcase on the floor of the alley. He brings home and finds the name of the victim (Stanley Mar (Greg Johnson)), a telephone number in a napkin and a strange piece of rock inside the briefcase. Meanwhile, the waitress and wannabe actress Celia Burns (Mira Sorvino) discusses with her boss Pierre (Victor Argo) about the sad fate of Izzy Maurer. When she goes home, she buys a CD from the musician, and while listening to his songs, she receives a phone call from Izzy, asking to go to her place. She receives him and he asks who Stanley Mar is, and soon he shows the rock he found floating and glowing. She tells him that he was a client that invited her to a drink afterhours, and they immediately fall in love with each other. Celia is selected to play Lulu role in the remake and needs to fly to Dublin to shoot, while Izzy stores his belongings before meeting her. But something happens to him and he cannot meet his beloved Celia.

"Lulu on the Bridge" is a 1998 mysterious romance with a disappointing conclusion. Maybe influenced by David Lynch, the director and writer Paul Auster makes a great film that attracts the attention of the viewer, but he did not know how to end and spoils the whole movie with a senseless conclusion. Better of whether he finished the plot when Celia jumps into the river in Dublin and Izzy desperately looking for her. However, the way it is, there are many questions without answer. Mira Sorvino is very beautiful in the role of an aspirant actress and Harvey Keitel is an excellent actor. The names in the cast in supporting roles are amazing and this movie deserved a better conclusion. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Mistério de Lulu" ("The Mystery of Lulu")

I was hoping the story line would pick up, but scenes were thrown in that didn't make sense, or didn't provide answers. True, no chemistry between Mira Sorvina and Harvey Keitel. I figured having heavyweights like Vanessa Redgrave, Willem Defoe, Gina Gershon, and Mandy Pantikin would add some depth, but their talents were wasted on a very abstract story. Overall, I was very disappointed. I expected more of this movie, because Vanessa Redgrave, Willem Defoe, and Gia Gershon are very good at doing independent and unusual movies. Anytime I see the name Vanessa Redgrave, I figure I'm in for a good movie. But I was let down completely by the story and cast!

Like many of New York City waitresses, Celia Burns is an aspiring actress. Izzy Maurer, a jazz saxophonist recovering from a gunshot wound, contacts her after finding her name along with a stone having magical properties, one of which propels them into a love affair. Through her talent, and friends of Izzy's ex-wife, Celia is able to land the part of Lulu, one which most actresses could only dream of. Izzy is held captive and Celia chased by a mysterious man claiming to have a doctorate in anthropology who wants the magical stone. It is only at the film's end that the discerning viewer understands what has really transpired. The all star cast does not disappoint.

Whereas I agree with many critical voices stating the script would be a bit unlikely, I just loved the mood and atmosphere of the movie. Of course, Keitel and Sorvino are so different that only magic can make them fall for each other. But what happens then is just very charming and touching. It is similar to recent blockbuster "Amelie": You just have to buy the setting to get a delightful time with the movie. And certainly, Sorvino, Keitel and Dafoe are fun to watch.

There are bad movies. And then there are those that go beyond. This is one such film. If any hopes are held that Harvey Kietel's presence itself will imply some quality, they are belied here!

It's a poor movie in so many ways. To begin with, the storyline is ridiculous - there's barely any plot, and still the movie drags on and on. Dialogues are mediocre - there are several occasions when Harvey breaks down based on words which seem absolutely mundane! So, we've a poor storyline, and poor dialogues - what's left? Yes, the acting. That's sketchy too, in case you were hopeful! not one single character seems to fit into his or her role...there's a whole bunch of uneasy actors trying to make a movie tick!

in a word, i'd say - avoid this movie with all your might!

Reading the negative comments to this movie is the most baffling experience: those who hate it seem to take action flicks as comparisons, talking about holes in the plot or whatever else that is pointless, failing to understand that this movie comes closer to poetry than most. Needless to say, the script is superb and Paul Auster shows to be a modern master of the literary genre, excelling as much on the screen as he does on paper (the scenes with Dafoe and Keitel are stunning, Dafoe telling the firefly story is memorable): this movie is all about reality and exactly because it feels so real it couldn't care less about realism. I watched Lulu with an open heart and it was all clear to me, all the words made perfect sense. But criticizing this Paul Auster gem because of your typical, run-of-the-mill Hollywood expectations is nothing but a crime.

After taking part on "Smoke" and directing "Blue in the face" Paul Auster kept on feeding his cinematographic interests with this "Lulu on the Bridge". He count one more time on his friend Harvey Keitel who plays a jazz musician whose life gets shattered because of a shot. He'll get his energies back thanks to a delicious an adorable girl called Celia (Mira Sorvino, why don't they hire her for the big productions? Jesus, she's a hell of an actress, and so gorgeous!!).

"Lulu" is a story that deals with real, intense and true love, full of symbols (nothing is as it seems here). The beginning of the movie, when Izzy (Keitel) and Celia meet is much more interesting and moving than the final parts, which are a little bit confusing.

Auster demonstrates his talent behind the camera and his good taste choosing actors and music.

*My rate: 7/10

It's pretty easy to see why this went straight to cable. Lulu on the Bridge tries desperately to be profound and mystical and ends up being a weird jumble that simply makes no sense. The cast is game and quite watchable, especially Harvey Keitel and Willem Dafoe, but the story is so convoluted that the viewer (at least this one) is left confused and disappointed.