Apt Pupil | | Cast : | Brad Renfro, Ian McKellen | | Director : | Bryan Singer | | Studio : | Columbia/Tristar Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | October 23, 1998 | | DVD Released Date : | March 23, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 02, 2005 | | Summary | Apt Pupil | Content
 | A promising young student encounters a wanted nazi war criminal. Immediately begins a chess match where the power keeps switching sides. The result is a disturbing tale adapted from Stephen King's novella. A great performance by Ian McKellen and a surpsingly good supporting role by David Schwimmer allow for the young lead (Brad Renfro) to appear more than 1 dimensional. Well directed by Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects) but sometimes self-absorbed. The DVD has great picture and sound and a brief, useless mini-documentary.
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| Rating | | | Date | July 16, 2005 | | Summary | Masterfully executed! | Content
| Based on a Stephen King novel, `Apt pupil' directed by Brian Singer tells the story of a hunted Nazi who is identified by a sixteen year old student. The student rather than reporting to authorities his discovery, attempts to blackmail the old man: he won't tell anyone if he tells him stories from the dead camp he was in charge of.
This incredible thriller takes some surprising twists as the story unfolds. The acting is superb, Ian McKellen as Dussander (the Nazi fugitive) and Brad Renfro deliver some of the most disturbing sequences of the film, from the stories being told by McKellen (excellent flashback scenes) to the sequence in which he wears the Nazi uniform again, the performance delivered by these two actors is one of the highlights of the film.
A story of how evil may present in the less expected ways and how a teenager falls under the clutches of the Nazi killer he thought he had under control. The directorial style of Singer is all over the film, the score composed by John Ottman is the perfect complement in some of the key scenes. Some of Singer `regulars' are here on brief cameos and there is the special appearance of David Schwimmer (even though he tries to portray a serious character, the stigma of Ross Geller won't leave him) Bottom-line, an excellent thriller filled with surprising twists, excellent sequences from the Nazi's dead camps and a shocking ending.
The DVD comes in both Widescreen and Full screen versions. Special features in the DVD are a `making of' documentary, cast and bios and the theatrical trailer. English 5.1 and Dolby surround available with subtitles in English only.
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| Rating | | | Date | April 04, 2005 | | Summary | Thought provoking; The evil that men do can rub off... | Content
| There are a few Stephen King adaptations that are good, though most missed the mark. I thought Bryan Singer's vision of "Apt Pupil" left in (and left out) everything that was approprate. I admire Ian McKellan no end, and he did not disappoint. I always thought that Brad Renfro's auspicious debut in "The Client" would lead to great things. Here, he succeeds. It's a layered performance of unsettling discovery, conflict & resolution...and a few surprises. Elias Koteas, in a small role, was best of all. His role as street person/hustler was complete, and I must admit that his final scene lef me a bit unsettled, very sad. I will not blab anyhing away, but I thought this to be a fine and very upsetting film. I'm somewhat amused at the controversy involving Singer's shower room scene, where he asked a number of young males to appear nude (they signed affidavits of approval). No one really cared, except one guy sued him for misreprentation or whatever. (How humiliating was that for him?) This was a 1998 film. Brian de Palma's "Carrie" with Oscar-nominee Sissy Spacek (1976) had a brutal shower scene, full-frontal, the whole 9 yards, and nobody made issue. Nudity doesn't bother me, if it makes sense. I don't understand the fuss. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 19, 2005 | | Summary | Absolutely Riveting and Chilling | Content
| I won't divulge any of the story line, because it has been covered by other Reviewers. However, I can tell you that the Audio and Video quality of this DVD is superb.
Beyond that, I have to tell you, that if you cannot find "insight" as to the motivation and drive of the pupil (as one Reviewer lamented), then you know nothing of the corrupting effect of having real "power" - power to make things happen - power to influence people - power to keep people from gaining the upper hand on you - and power to have the life and death of others in YOUR hands. Put that power into the hands of a very intelligent student who finds himself in seemingly unsolvable situations, and you can watch him use that Power to "succeed", but, at the same time, to self-destruct, morally.
You will NOT be disappointed by this movie. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 04, 2005 | | Summary | weak script and weaker acting | Content
| This move highlights Singer's over use of actors and filming stories tha get away from the point. It's a weak movie full of more style then substance, and shows how Singer would make X2; X-Men United (anti-american all the way), and now he will destroy Superman in a new, unneeded film. |
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