skoenlaper-1 I loved the movie. I think that most people that saw it did not understand what it was about. I believe it is about reincarnation or possibly parallel universes. I believe that the promoters of the movie missed the boat by not advertising it as such, probably believing that it would turn people off. I think that if people knew this going into the movie they would see it in a completely different light. I also think that many people were expecting it to be Robin Williams usual comedic type of movie and so missed the point of the movie waiting for it to be funny. I too, really enjoy his comedy, but he is also a very intense and great actor and has shown his versatility with his many different types of characters and movies.I have seen the movie several times and still find new and interesting things in it. I am still watching and waiting patiently for it to come out on DVD.

doritodad Only reason it didn't get a 9 is that I have a hard time with Robin Williams playing serious roles (sorry). "Isomnia" was one of his better serious roles. But he is very sympathetic in this movie. And the movie itself is very near perfect. A great story. I came to IMDb to check on this title as I couldn't find it on Netflix. Shame on Netflix! Only reason it didn't get a 9 is that I have a hard time with Robin Williams playing serious roles (sorry). "Isomnia" was one of his better serious roles. But he is very sympathetic in this movie. And the movie itself is very near perfect. A great story. I came to IMDb to check on this title as I couldn't find it on Netflix. Shame on Netflix!

docadams This is one of those comfortable Sunday-afternoon-while-it's-raining films. It is one of Robin Williams more serious characters.A little moody in places, the film offers reflections on what it might have been like to live at other times, as a sort of social history (no being a king or queen or royalty). The main character plays his life issues out through time, from ancient Rome, a Viking raid, a 16th or 17th century continental vagrant, to the present. Love, life's tragedies, children, and home are all themes. There is a light-heartiness to the film, and it plays on the contemporary character's life as it unfolds. Robin Williams turns in a typically great performance.The themes and emotions all play in their times. Settings are as varied as the emotions. Sweet and sentimental, the movie captures and makes a statement about the human condition.

Jugu Abraham Fables were used in the past to tell stories to children. Here Hector (Robin Williams) and a woman story teller (Theresa Russel) whom we never see but only hear, weave several stories for Hector's children to explain his absence from their lives for several years. Each story attempts to explain figuratively what emotions he went through during the period.An attentive viewer is amply rewarded by director Bill Forsyth--if you are a casual viewer you will wonder what is happening and consider the film to be disjointed and hence poor entertainment.Non-linear narratives are not Forsyth's invention--such films have adorned French and Hungarian cinema for decades. "Being Human" is above average in that company merely because of fine performances from Williams, the beautiful Anna Galiena (Beatrice) an Italian actress, Hector Elizondo, John Turturro, William Macy, and Ewan McGregor to mention a few.While the imaginative storytelling technique was impressive, Forsyth never explains who the lady narrator is. Are we expected to imagine it to be Hector's new love? The gradual jumps in time scales, gives us a socio-historical perspective into Hector's education in life, seen through the eyes of his children. Forsyth is interesting but not the best director using this technique. His film demands attention, both literally and figuratively.I understand that the director disowns the film after the studios forced him to truncate the film by 40 minutes. Probably the director's cut is far superior to the present version and is likely to be more satisfying to a discerning viewer.