Meet Joe Black review

Normally, you know where you are with Death. Hooded cloak. Hourglass. Whacking great scythe. Bit thin looking. With such accoutrements intact, you can be reasonably sure when you're in the presence of Mr G Reaper. Which is why adopting the appearance of Brad Pitt isn't exactly playing the game.

Nevertheless, in this update of the 1934 movie Death Takes A Holiday, the incarnation of mortality arrives at his next appointment - media tycoon William Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) - and decides to dally in his company awhile, and discover what makes humans tick. And though Parrish does his best to be accommodating, he reacts as any father would do when 'Joe Black' starts flirting with his lovely daughter Susan (Claire Forlani).

A liberal running time may diminish its appeal, but it's a novel premise with Sir Tony's reliable class and a couple of pretty stars - films have been made with much less. Romantic fable with a supernatural thread then, rather than the other way around, and though the love story might unwisely dominate the drama or comedy, this is the sort of movie you can immerse yourself in without really wanting to come up for air.