The Angriest Man in Brooklyn - Tragically poignant in retrospect

There’s no doubt that Robin Williams was one of the great actors of the last twenty to thirty or so years.  His films were wide and varied, therefore most casual fans, while accepting his brilliance, probably didn’t like them all, but most would have a favourite.  Now he’s gone we’re just left with his back catalogue to remember him by.  As I’ve said, many of them are classics and worth their place in cinema history, sadly ‘The Angriest Man in Brooklyn’ will probably really only be remembered as one of Williams’ last movies.

He plays the titular ‘angriest man’ who is pretty much fed up with the world around him.  One particularly bad day he ends up in hospital where an equally disenfranchised-with-life doctor (played by Mila Kunis) ends up breaking down and informing him that he’s only got ninety minutes to live.  This hardly improves his mood, but it does give the film its story, i.e. what will the ‘angriest man in the city’ do with his final moments.

Unfortunately, the answer isn’t as much as we’d probably like.  It’s fair to say that Williams isn’t at his best.  Perhaps, given light of his emotional state in real life, his heart and soul weren’t really into acting this time round, especially as a guy who’s not really into life and given only moments to live.

The film’s flaw is that it doesn’t really know what it is.  I guess it’s supposed to be a comedy, but it’s not really that funny (especially given what then happened to Robin Williams).  Maybe it should have tried to stick at being a dark drama, but that’s all academic now.  It is what it is.  And it is a sad story, not because it’s that well-written or particularly good, but because you can’t help but relate it to what happened in real life.  

If you’re a fan of Robin Williams, you’ll probably enjoy it.  Or not.  I’m a fan, but I found it rather sad really.  I won’t watch it again.  Not because it’s that bad, but because there are countless other Robin Williams films that he should be remembered by.

6/10 Should probably keep you awake if Freddy Krueger was haunting your nights