The Razor's Edge

Rating:
Summary: Murray's Best Movie Performance ?
Review: After viewing Lost in Translation I decided to view all of Bill's movies - essentially the few that I had missed - then set up a Listmania list and rate the movies. He stars in about 15 well known movies, plus plays smaller parts in others.

I had two surprises. The first was the very funny movie Where the Buffalo Roam in which he plays the 1970's era famous writer/reporter Hunter Thompson. The movie is set in California where Thompson is covering the Superbowl and continues later as he reports on the Nixon campaign traveling on a campaign plane. He even has an encounter with Nixon in a washroom. That is off the wall and very funny "classic" Bill Murray stuff. I liked the hospital scenes dancing with the half naked nurse, or Thompson driving a car while smoking and typing a story. The VHS version is the one to see with the original music.

The second was the present movie the Razor's Edge, based on a book by Somerset Maugham. This movie had a bit of bad luck in that it came out about the same time as Ghostbusters and with that other movie's wide appeal, the present movie was lost in the noise.

Surprisingly this is a classic tear jerker. There is an original version of the movie done approximately 58 years ago starring Tyrone Power. In this update Murray gives a wonderful performance here and perhaps his best ever. It is not the Murray that we normally expect. He is not that loud comedy actor as in Groundhog Day or similar. Here he is a subdued and thoughtful young man caught up in the post WWI times.

In any case this is a 5 star movie and really quite outstanding in many ways. It is a movie that one wants to watch more than once. It has solid acting by both the lead Murray and the entire supporting cast. The story is about a young man - Larry (Murray) - from a wealthy Chicago suburb who serves in WWI. In France he sees many people killed in the war, but he escapes with light wounds. With that experience he decides to put his life on hold and not become a stock broker in Chicago as he had planned. Next he delays a planned marriage to his fiancee, and not knowing exactly what he wants, he rejects materialism, moves to Paris, and then he becomes an avid reader about life and spiritualism. We see a liberated Murray wearing a beret, riding a motorcycle, and chatting in low budget French restaurants. Possibly he is more content than the friends left behind. One is generally sympathetic to the Murray character, a genuinely good guy, and we follow his journey as he tries to understand the meaning of his life. He tries to reconcile the brutal deaths in WWI with his materialistic Chicago background. In some ways this is a very sad movie, with moments of pure joy. As I said, a tear jerker and a great performance. Watch the movie to see how it develops and what happens to Larry, i.e.: Murray. The above is just the first 15 minutes or so.

Surprisingly good, and Murray's best. One gets that feeling that Murray should have done more dramatic movies, in addition to all those great comedies.


Rating:
Summary: Loved it then...
Review: Love it more now...

This has to be one of the most powerful movies I have seen in my life. The life of this one man makes such an astounding impact to so many around him, that you feel your life is changed as well...

I watched this movie again for the first time, since I was in my early 20's. I found I had forogtten alot of this movie, but upon watching it once more, it brought it all back to me and I found it even more touching now, then I did when I first saw it.

This is a must see for anyone who is striving to understand life, their purpose and the reason we live. This movie will simply amaze you at how deep the human mind can go.

Rating:
Summary: In a way only Bill Murray could... this film changed my life
Review: I saw this movie for the first time as an eigth grader. It made me go find and read Siddhartha followed by every other Hesse novel. I wanted to be a methodist preacher up until that moment. I did not become a minister.

Rating:
Summary: bill murray should of at least been nominated fot the oscar
Review: No one else could of played this role but murray such a fine actor.
such a fine fine film. This film leaves you with thoughs and knowling that you have just seen what should of gotten more press
than it has had.

Rating:
Summary: Peter O'Toole, Lawrence Olivier, Bill Murray...
Review: ...Seems impossible? While Bill Murray might be best known for films like Ghostbusters, he deserves much greater recognition for his role in The Razor's Edge; as much for his acting ability as his ability to adapt the script to his unique stage presence. While it is a favorite of mine, it should be recognized as one of the best films ever made (am I oveselling it?).

For those who have read Maugham's novel, the stuffiness and pretense are replaced with life, vibrance, and cinematic scope. This is one of those movies that struts films occasional superiority to the written word. Grand vistas, poignant staging (the final staircase exit), and again Bill Murray.

The movie retains all that is essential from the novel. Yet somehow, by not taking itself too seriously, Larry Darrel (Murray) is a more effective protagonist and philosopher. At each viewing I'm tempted to flee my cubicle for good and go in search of the meaning of life. Now that's power!

Ultimately, it seems a shame that such worthwhile films as this gather dust while Ghostbusters airs weekly on TBS and the like. Buy the DVD now (even with its shortcomings). You will at least be entertained by Murray's wisecracks (and a funny if brief performance from his brother Doyle). More significantly, movies like this are able to transcend mere entertainment and teach us something about what it means to be human.

Rating:
Summary: Poor Acting, Poor Editing
Review: First off, I like Bill Murray. Unfortunately he simply doesn't have the acting talent to play this role. He tries, but he does not have the dramatic or emotional depth required of the role. One would be better off reading the book.