Mr. Jones

This was Mike Figgis' first film after the rather wonderful and haunting "Liebestraum" and compared to that it's a disappointment.

As others have commented, Gere's acting is magnificent. I have a good friend who is manic depressive and Gere nails the condition absolutely. As others have also commented, this performance is straightjacketed into a contrived Hollywood vehicle with a laughably pat romantic ending. I was unsurprised to discover that the film was taken away from Figgis by the studio, redited, rescored and partially reshot.

A couple of points: of course Lena Olin's character behaves unprofessionally, that's made quite clear in the movie, so pointing it out as a flaw seems a little wide of the mark. What we in fact have is a slightly more subtle than usual rendition of the "psychiatrist is as nutty as the patient" trope - she is shown earlier in the movie to be extremely vulnerable and perhaps irrational after a failed relationship. Meanwhile Gere is extremely charismatic, as manic personalities can be, she is drawn to him out of her own depressed state and the time-honoured Freudian concept of transference does the rest. In addition the choice she makes addresses the notion introduced by Gere's character in the movie - how much is she prepared to give up?

There are also serious questions about "madness" touched on in the film - where does individual personality end and illness begin? To what extent is insanity a logical response to an intolerable situation? Perhaps these were originally to be explored in a little more depth.

I suppose this "accountant's cut" didn't do well enough at the box office for there to be much chance of a director's cut and that's a shame. It seems there is a much better film somewhere in here screaming to be let out....

I don't know very much about bipolar depression, aside from reading biographies of Robert Lowell, the poet. I have to say though that Richard Gere is outstanding in this movie. It started showing on ITV2 and his performance drew me into the story- I had to watch it to the end.

It's a brave premise for a Hollywood film but "Mr. Jones" is let down by a flawed script. I was offended by the way the doctor was portrayed. Of course she was played by a stunning actress, of course she became attached to her patient- to the point of invading his privacy by looking up his friends from his time at music college twenty years earlier. Oh, and of course (SPOILER- in more ways than one) she slept with him as well. She offers to resign which keeps her from being professionally ruined – sorry, but I can't see a qualified and experienced psychiatrist falling in love with her patient, let along sleeping with him while he's still under treatment. The ending peters out as well- to suggest that they will become a couple, I suppose.

The hospital scenes are strong and moving, as is the the subplot about the young student. This could have been an interesting study of people in emotional distress. Too bad they couldn't match Mr. Jones with unsentimental and uncompromising portraits of those trying to help him.

Based on the first few minutes, I was expecting a comedy about a happy-go-lucky construction worker who displays unconventional behavior. Even after his first trip to a mental hospital, I figured this would be a romantic comedy about a fun guy and the pretty female psychiatrist who wants to prove he's wacko.

Actually, she is right about him. He is manic-depressive. The man who only refers to himself as "Mr. Jones" doesn't believe he is manic-depressive because he would have to get depressed. We haven't seen it and surely it's not true, right? Wrong. This is a very troubled man. He will need a lot of care, and we must be prepared to go through some hard times with him.

Richard Gere did a very good job. Naturally, I liked him best when he was fun. His character seems "normal" because this is a movie, but that soon changes. Gere effectively shows a wide range of personality styles, though this is nothing groundbreaking.

Delroy Lindo is a standout performer as Howard, the co-worker who apparently saves Mr. Jones' life. Although they work together less than a full day (I assume), they become close friends. Some of my favorite scenes have Gere and Lindo together.

Baha Jackson does a good job as Howard's son.

Lauren Tom briefly appears as a bubbly, fast-talking, excited patient. Too bubbly. She's going to have to crash--and she does.

Whether you like this movie or not depends on whether you want comedy or drama. I found enough scenes enjoyable.

I am really surprised to see such low ratings for this film. I think it's a great insight of how people who are affected by manic depression feel and how difficult can be the job of physicians in treating them. Moreover Richard Gere's interpretation is a masterpiece. He shows both the vulnerability of an exhausted and sad man in search of understanding and acceptance, and also of course his celebrated coolness and savoir-faire with women in the character's exuberant spells. I found the picture really pleasant, funny at times and shockingly real and dramatic and full of pathos. Despite the numerous clichés (..) and the frequent fades-away which, in my opinion, manifest a little hastiness by the director, I found the picture full of hope. Sometimes we forget the complexity of the human psyche. A man can endure at times ecstatic bliss and at others dreadful despair. I guess it's the price to pay for being extremely sensitive. Or just a little crazy.

As a sufferer myself, I found this film very reassuring that my actions are not totally alien. It was both entertaining and supportive. Geres' line that he needs the highs to be able to cope with the lows just shows an understanding into the illness. This is well acted, well written and well worth watching.