Truly Dreadful Film

As Good As It Gets

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

I have watch this movie in 1995 in Turkish TV. It was banned here i can see why. There is no good Turkish person in the movie. Not even single one. In WW2 movies you see German soldier gives a cigarettes to a prisoner or Jews or a Nazi officer do something nice for Jews. I mean i can understand that this is a prison movie and there is no good prison anywhere in the world. I am Turkish and this movie makes me think this movie was specially made to insult whole nation and influence the viewer and give them terrible opinion about Turkey which was not good in the first place. I rated 2 because i think the soundtrack is great.The rest awful.

I read the book. And it's even more frightening and exciting. Overcome this great film has not been easy. I've had to see it a dozen times. I am an actor and I have played Billy's monologue when he is sentenced to 30 years. The proceedings, without exception, are all Formidable The script is written with amazing precision and great rawness. All this would not be possible without an incredible story (and also real)to tell. The management is simply spectacular and despite the fact that the story is very modified to the original of William Hayes, this film is very faithful to the feeling of closure, emotional punishment and the loss of life even when our protagonist (Brad Davis)keep breathing. Special mention to William Hurt in his co-protagonist rol where he leads every time he talks as the dying Max. The Midnight Express passed in 1978 and has left a mark on my life and on everyone who has seen this masterpiece film.

I'll keep this review short. Midnight Express-1978-Directed by Alan Parker-Starring Brad Davis and the legendary John Hurt-Screenplay by the great Oliver Stone. This film is a 9/10. The film is based on the real story of a man called Billy Hayes who was imprisoned for trying to smuggle hash out of Turkey. The film really struck me on the harsh reality and how much grit was projected. The film is really a bleak reality filled with horror and violence with sadistic humans which creates true terror of a horrible place with true grit and real terror. The film is sickening and in places and saddening in others. I'm not sure what to do. From a sweaty, enclosed prison to a horrifying mental asylum where the talk of 'machines' rules and the slow demise of Billy as he discovers his meaning and sexuality and the power of his mentality is sometimes heartbreaking as he plans his escape to normality."if I stay here I'm going to die!"

Great prison drama.Loosely based on a true story (many details are changed), the movie revolves around a man, Billy Hayes, who is imprisoned in Istanbul for drug possession/smuggling. Director Alan Parker and writer Oliver Stone slowly ratchet up the tension, scene by scene. Initially Hayes' predicament does not seem so bad - the Turkish police are depicted as harmless, almost buffoons - but as the movie goes on it becomes more and more claustrophobic as Hayes' position becomes more and more dire. You wonder if he gets out at all...Oliver Stone got the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar in 1979 for his screenplay - his first Oscar.Good performances from Brad Davis and John Hurt. Hurt got a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. However, Randy Quaid is a bit over-the-top and irritating in his performance.