At first I thought this film was pretty poor - owing to the ponderous pace, almost random dialog and hard to understand narration - until I understood that Tom Tom actually is 'special' and not just annoyingly peculiar. I think that the opening scene where he leaps off the building ties the story together well - it added a sense of tragedy to the plot and I was intrigued as to who he was waving to, which kept me going.
The mix of characters also maintains humor and interest, and the part where he is used by his friends made me quite angry and frustrated. The film's strength is the wonderful soundtrack and the lovable Tom, who makes up for a string of poorly written characters. His death was so moving because he was used by such a cruel world and though he was a witness to this he retained such a sense of purity and childlike wonder I was at the same time touched and enraged.
I was drawn to this film through being a fan of U2, and was disappointed up until the third act, when everything was explained and given so much more weight. It is a very unusual and unconventional film; probably because it was created largely by musicians (but altogether rewarding for those of a sentimental disposition). I think it's flaws almost make it more complete, in a strange way, because the characters are so flawed themselves and their environment so damaging. It personified mental illness in such a way that I almost felt like signing in to the Million Dollar Hotel myself.
The mix of characters also maintains humor and interest, and the part where he is used by his friends made me quite angry and frustrated. The film's strength is the wonderful soundtrack and the lovable Tom, who makes up for a string of poorly written characters. His death was so moving because he was used by such a cruel world and though he was a witness to this he retained such a sense of purity and childlike wonder I was at the same time touched and enraged.
I was drawn to this film through being a fan of U2, and was disappointed up until the third act, when everything was explained and given so much more weight. It is a very unusual and unconventional film; probably because it was created largely by musicians (but altogether rewarding for those of a sentimental disposition). I think it's flaws almost make it more complete, in a strange way, because the characters are so flawed themselves and their environment so damaging. It personified mental illness in such a way that I almost felt like signing in to the Million Dollar Hotel myself.