Change the way you look at the world.

Says the tagline of the movie 'K-Pax'. Indeed it has for me.

The film released in 2001. There was a time when I used to drop in theatres solely on the name of the film, the usual college assignments always held me up..yada yada... I remember the theatre guy telling me that this was one helluva movie, the one I shouldn't ever miss. Baloney, that's what I thought when I heard of the name...it was hard not to watch a Kevin Spacey Movie, that too after the 'American Beauty' effect which hadn't still worn out of my friends VCD collections. But watching K-PAX...are you kidding me? What other PAXes can you get me?....that's exactly what I'd thought of....

Until yesterday, when a casual download of the movie literally dropped my jaw. I was completely blown away by the film. It truly is a masterpiece. Casting, cinematography, you name it...this movie is one which surely deserved a Golden Globe, if not an Oscar. The Oscars as of now have totally degenerated into somewhat of an ADD infested brain.

K-Pax, which I still find to be a horrible name for a movie to be christened with, is based on the Sci-fi novel by Gene Brewer. It's the story of an alien who visits earth to obtain information to take back to his home planet, K-Pax. Along the way he finds himself in a mental institution, befriends everyone there..a la One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, blurs the line between being an unbelievable delusional and an extra terrestrial in the human form. In his brief stay he exhibits a mixture of pure emotions, emotions only a human can express while satirically puncturing his comments with comparisons on humanity to K-Pax-ity, if you will. His pscyhiatrist, played by Jeff Bridges tries hard to find the chain of Mr. Prote (the alien) and his past life. For Jeff believes that this is a con act, a 'savant' in the making. Ultimately the heart warming finale leaves you breathless, it's one which which will keep you guessing till the very end.

K-Pax is a planet that has no laws because they all know right from wrong. They have no family structre, because it's futile as they look after everyones offsprings, there's no concept of 'mine' and 'yours'. Ones wishes are well known to others, so that they could 'co-ordinate' amongst themselves. And so much more, I wish to find more of in the novel.

What is so different about this movie?. What is it that makes it stand out?. What is it that makes me think about it all day?. It's the subtle underlying current of philosophy in the movie, which is so discrete. The casting, the cinematography, the background score. There is not a single wasted moment, not a single swear. No explosions. No excessive special effects. No religious mumbo jumbo. And what I most liked about it, was that the whole movie focused on Earth and humanity from a purely scientific view.

I'm so happy that Hollywood still produces such little known masterpieces. They are extremely rare to come by. With people not even giving such movies the customary lip-service...I find it distressing that people cannot understand simplicity.

Simplicity as in any art film is where the film 'falters' from a typical film fanatics view. It doesn't push anything down on you, its not excessively arty, and most imortant of all - theres no female lead. Its beyond comprehension how a novel could be brought to life in such vivid detail.

Right now I'm itching to get my hands on the novel. Someday when I get a Gold Credit Card, it'll be just an Amazon.com away. I guess.

You'd better not miss this movie for anything in the world. I'm glad I dug this one out.