Every week we’re bringing you recommendations for great movies or TV shows streaming on Netflix. This week’s selection is…
“The Angriest Man in Brooklyn” (7 out of 10) – Based on the 1197 Israeli film “The 92 Minutes of Mr. Baum; Written by Daniel Talitz; Directed by Phil Alden Robinson; Starring Robin Williams, Mila Kunis, Peter Dinklage, Melissa Leo, and Hamis Linklater; 83 minutes; Rated R.
“The Angriest Man in Brooklyn” tells the story of Henry Altmann (Williams) a habitually angry man prone to fits of blind rage, the first of which we witness when his car is struck by a cab on his way to a doctor’s appointment for chronic headaches. Once at the appointment Altmann is told that he has an inoperable brain aneurysm near his brain stem.
Despite being told to control his anger, as any increase in blood pressure could mean his imminent demise, he becomes enraged at the news and screams at Doctor Sharon Gill (Kunis) to tell him how long he has left. Intimidated by his demeanor she looks around the room and sees a magazine with the words “90 minutes” on the cover and in a panic, tells him that’s how long he has left.
Altmann storms out of the office while Doctor Gill mumbles that he’s a dead prick under her breath, Altmann has some choice words for her as well.
After leaving the hospital Altmann goes to his office where his brother (Dinklage) is holding a meeting and tells the assembled party that a client of his has recently learned that he only has 90 minutes to live, he then asks them what they would recommend he tell the client to do with his limited time.
After taking in their advice he decides to reconcile with his wife, make love to her one last time, and die in her loving arms. Unfortunately his plan doesn’t go off as planned, instead he discovers that his wife has been having a longstanding affair with one of their neighbors.
Meanwhile Doctor Gill realizes the consequences of her actions both regarding her actions with Mr. Altmann and her affair with one of her colleagues, and makes chase through the city looking for Altmann and the opportunity to right her wrongs.
Along the way, both Altmann and Doctor Gill examine the choices they’ve made that have led them to their current circumstances and realize things about themselves that alter the course of the rest of their lives, however long that may be.
“The Angriest Man in Brooklyn” shows Williams’ breaking out of his norm a little bit and in this robot’s opinion, that’s when we got the best out of him. It also includes an all-star cast including cameos by Louis C.K. and James Earl Jones. Though I must admit that hearing Kunis call him a dead prick and hearing him talk about the years on his tombstone, 1951 to 2014, hurt my heart a little bit because life, unfortunately in this case, imitated art.
This was one of Williams’ last projects followed only by “A merry Friggin’ Christmas” and “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,” as well as his final project as the voice of Dennis in “Absolutely Anything” due for release this year.