That was an excellent one.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Stories, whether in book, oral, OR movie form, have always had some ambiguity and mystery to them. Even our Bible, containing prob the most well-known "Stories", is full of ambiguity and allegory. Think of the prophets and parables. Think of genesis/revelation. The beginning AND the end - all symbolism, wedded loosely to a tangible mystery we can never fully comprehend. Think of the Australian aborigines "Creation Stories", in which there is no time, and all that ever is or will be is ever with us....Time is NO time...and ALL time...at once..These story ambiguities convey mysteries that will ever remain so. And the deepest "mysteries", ever residing behind a veil we can never fully tap into, can only be explained by "Allegory". In this sense, Northfork is akin to a biblical story. Floods, change, redemption, death, light, dark, gray......and man's quest to understand the mysteries of this short but profound life through such allegories.There is no "linear" time here. This "story" is all allegory, and lends itself to wherever one wants to be "taken". It is a dream scape more than a narrative. "To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub/For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, /When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, /Must give us pause. - Shakespeare..

I rented this movie solely on the basis of Roger Ebert's four star review. Upon watching the movie, I felt that I had seen one of the most brilliant films ever made. Looking through a few other reviews (Leonard Maltin, etc.), it appears that most critics hated it, for reasons I cannot understand. Yes, this is a slow, deliberate movie, but I found the pace just about right, and parts of the film quite amusing (the ark, Jigger, etc). One of the most striking things is M. David Mullen's cinematography, which is one of the most important characters in the movie. Excellent performances all around from all of the actors.Although the film is not for everyone, I'm sure (Joe Six-Pack run for the hills), if you have patience, take the time to watch this and let it work its way into your mind. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I found this film slow and depressing, but still intriguing. Watching it on cable, I took a break after about 1/2 hour and came here to see what people were saying about it. Then I went back and watched the rest. I am glad I did. I found the message oddly uplifting. It reminded me of the old Twilight Zone episode where Robert Redford plays the warm and friendly angel of death.I think that the film is flawed, simply because so many people here failed to get the message. Many will give up on it. That is too bad, because the message is really wonderful.I am amazed at the number of reviews that simply report on the six men in black as government agents. Did no one see the wings on their lapels or the feathers in their hats? These guys are angels, charged with escorting (evacuating) souls to the next life. They are doing penance. Their reward is an acre and a half on the shores of the lake - a place in heaven. They return to escort the stubborn people who refuse to move on - the guy who nails his feet to the floor, the man and his wives who is waiting in his ark for a sign from God. Notice that they run into the minister in town, but never pay him a visit when he is with the boy. The minister is doing the same thing as the men in black - assisting with the transition. James Woods character makes a statement that their job is not to change anyone's beliefs, just to help with their evacuation.This entire movie takes place in the world between life and death. Too bad it is so slow and depressing.

In my efforts at subtle social engineering through cinema, I implore people to see this movie.What an ambitious film, which is equal in quality to the written word. I was surprised to learn how young the Polish brothers are and that they wrote the thing, which sounds like good Tim Findley. Ridiculouly good. And supposedly made for peanuts, ridiculous again. I have to fill in at least 10 lines here, what else to say. Sure its a bit strange, but give it a chance and it may provoke the imagination to savor a unique and enriching experience the way a painting can cause us to reflect each of us upon something unexpected, or the way a wonderful meal can make us feel better for reasons we don't fully understand. Creative, imaginative, visionary, (these are three different things, by the way) and full of unyielding guts. SEE IT NOW, AND SEE ANYTHING THESE GUYS HAVE DONE, FROM NOW ON. OKAY, THAT'S IT.