Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil (DVD 1999)

No thrills, no action, no heroes. Just the story and the people. So whether you like the film or not relies on how much you find the story interesting and feel concerned with the people’s lives. It’s not watching an entertaining film, more like reading an interesting book: if it touches your feelings you might be thinking about it long after watching it, if it doesn’t you’ll just throw its memory down the waste basket. So let’s explore that story and those people.

The Garden of Good and Evil is the cemetery. Half an hour before midnight you evoke what’s good in your relationship with a dead person, half an hour after you evoke what’s evil. That’s voodoo, it says that there must be a balance between good and evil, and moreover that you must pay your debts with the dead just as with the living. That dialectic is the purpose of the film.

In the picture there is Savannah and its eccentric people - which will remind you of Willoughby, that little town seen in some episodes of the Twilight Zone ‘A town where a man can slow down to a walk and live his life full measure’. John Cusack, young reporter and writer (not unlike Tintin), stumbles into this world with an open mind, non-judgmental and curious attitude - but seriously staggered by people’s eccentricity. A crime is committed - a murder - and he investigates while the trial proceeds. Cusack’s interpretation (brilliant in its simplicity) sets the tone: it is an invitation to be non-judgmental and accept others the way they are, just the way they are - no matter what they are - and to live along a stress-less lifestyle. And this is just what you’ll get.

So if you’re just about to rest your head on the pillow and peruse over an intriguing story under the bedside lamp, here’s you film.

Just come back from Savannah where this true story took place. Excellent film and acting, although the film does not follow the book exactly. It is an really good film to watch, giving a good idea of the Savannah laid back life style, beautiful houses and leafy squares. In fact in one square is the bench used for Forrest Gump film which has since been stolen and auctioned on Ebay! There is a plaque stating the location of the bench.

What a shame,this film by Clint Eastwood just potters along and then fizzles out !
In true Eastwood style,the characters and plot are painstakingly built-up,and then the story begins to unravel.Although the cast and acting are great,the story is weak.Can't help thinking that this film was just a vehicle for his daughters film career.All in,not bad,but could of been better,might be more interesting if you're an American,as maybe the setting of Savannah and the plot has significance to them.

I saw this atmospheric movie originally when I was in North Carolina and the eccentric characters interested me enormously. I believe that the book's plot is based on real-life events that occurred in the 1980s and as some (Lady Chablis) are still living in Savannah, it makes me want to visit Savannah.