Julian Po

Julian Po (Christian Slater) is headed to the beach. A bookkeeper by profession, his life is not evolving the way he wanted it to, so he has quit his job in favor of this quest. However, before he reaches the beloved ocean of his dreams, his car breaks down and he walks to the nearest town. Talk about an unwelcoming committee! Although he is rented a room at a boarding house, Julian is immediately under intense scrutiny and avid speculation. All of the town folks, the mayor (Harve Presnell), his wife (Allison Janney), and the rest are convinced that Mr. Po is a killer-drifter, a con-artist, or, well, fill in the blank. Finally confronting him on his second day, at a diner, the residents are startled to hear that Julian's main plan is to commit suicide. All of a sudden, he is extended the hand of friendship for choosing their village as "the spot". The barber gives him a free haircut, stating that undertakers do lousy work, and Julian also gets a new suit, delicious muffins, and a marriage proposal from beautiful Sarah (Robin Tunney). It's heady stuff. Soon, kids are betting on what day the deed will be done and folks are coming to Julian for advice and fervent goodbyes. But, now Julian is not so sure what he wants, especially with the lovely Sarah in his life. Will Mr. Po follow through? This is a delightful movie, with an outstanding script of humor and insight. The credits state that it is based on a classic foreign novel, which is unfamiliar to most, but Alan Wade did a great adaptation of the work. Also fine are the cast members, including Slater, Tunney, Janney, Presnell, Cherry Jones, and all, all of the others. The small town setting is a beautiful, the costumes are well-chosen, and the cinematography and direction are most competent. The only caveat may be that the film's jacket doesn't do it justice, giving few clues to the strength of the story. Therefore, if you passed it by at the video store, thinking it appeared dull, ponder again. Po is not "po" but very rich.

Poetic, tragic, pathetic, funny, and romantic do not do this movie justice. A great and subtle piece of film-making with great performances and a splendid and unobtrusive soundtrack. There are no easy answers. There is no Hollywood ending.... See this movie!

I saw it on one of the arts channels 2 days in a row last year and was surprised at how much better it was the second time. It's an unusual movie, to be sure, the type that doesn't make a ton of money but it IS a good film. It has good direction, good characters and a good cast. You don['t walk away feeling like you've been hit in the face with a ton of bricks. Its much more subtle than that. And it doesn't take a great stretch of the imagination to realize that this is a slightly different version of the last 3 days in the life of Jesus. I'm serious. Watch it again with this idea in mind and watch all the pieces fall together. I'm by no means a religious person and this is not a religious movie but the parallels are there. Like I said, watch it again, its worth your time.

This is the kind of film you can only sit through after midnight whilst flicking incoherently through the channels. That is how i came upon such a strange film, one which i could not stop watching, despite the efforts of the oncoming dawn light telling me to.

Slater plays his role very well as the confused outsider, a role that the audience can only find themselves joining him in, and Tunney's performance as the attractive girl who wants to run away from home is also well performed. All in all, this is a good film to sit through only if you are in an open minded mood, if you are feeling at all skeptical, leave it on the shelf.

This movie has an intriguing plot that is carried out by strange and wonderful characters. It examines one man's time spent in a small town where the townspeople put undue faith and expectations on him.

Because the people believe the man's time is coming to an end, they seek guidance and knowledge from him that he isn't necessarily qualified to give.

The subsequent changes in people and their stories carry the audience through a variety of emotions and leave one contemplating the nature of human existence.

Highly recommended. Slater and Tunney are particularly good.