The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014)

Directed by Phil Alden Robinson
Written by Daniel Taplitz, based on the film "The 92 Minutes of Mr. Baum" written by Assi Dayan
Starring Robin Williams, Mila Kunis, Peter Dinklage and Melissa Leo

A perpetually angry man is informed he has 90 minutes to live and promptly sets out to reconcile with his family and friends in the short time he has left.

Throughout the 83 minutes that this movie plays, the quality goes up and down from being bad, then flirting with the line of being good, only to fall back down again. It never fully satisfies with it's story telling.

Opening with a nice, picturesque scene of a family having a picnic, your image of the father is immediately shattered when they cut to him stuck in traffic 25 years later. It is obvious that this was done on purpose, but I felt that Robin Williams character never fully goes back to that original state of happiness, rendering the entire movie meaningless.

Why would you go to the hospital without a shirt?

With little humor and a lot of yelling, perhaps this film was made more for those who actually live in New York and could relate to the protagonists experiences. But to the rest of us, at least for myself, it fell flat.

That's the perfect word to describe this movie. It wasn't good or bad. It was just flat. Although some scenes peaked my interest and others pushed me away, my emotional connection with the film stayed the same throughout, never changing from the "Yeah… I'm watching a movie…" emotion.

The best part about the movie was seeing Robin Williams. Perhaps this is a new phenomena since his death, but it is quite enjoyable just to see him on screen. It's hard to miss him, even when he's yelling at everyone.

My Rating: 5/10

One Hour Photo (2002)

Written and Directed by Mark Romanek
Starring Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Dylan Smith and Eriq La Salle

A lonely employee of a one-hour photo lab becomes obsessed with a young suburban family and imagines himself a part of it. His obsession soon becomes dangerous as he learns his perfect imaginary family isn't so perfect.

Yet another example at the greatness of the late, great Robin Williams and the diversity of his talent, this film shows off the comedians dark side. His performance makes it so easy to relate and sympathize with his character, who is clearly not well. You find yourself condemning, yet understanding his actions from beginning to end.

The story is intriguing and enough to make the film worth the watch, but it is Williams' performance that pushes it from good to great. His focus and meticulousness in both the developing of photos and his obsessive behavior adds to create a character that is hard to forget.

Robin Williams took selfless before it was cool…

This movie reminded me why it was so hard to hear of Robin Williams' death. He wasn't just a comedian. He was a great actor who had a range of talent that is hard to find. While these roles are much darker than how people want to remember him, I believe they are essential to completing the picture of who he really was. His career is an image of all aspects of our lives put on display. He wasn't just the best parts. He was also the bad and brooding.

My Rating: 7/10