Review of Powder (1995) by Joe D — 23 Jun 2009

This is in my top three favorite films of all time. It's one of the most emotionally powerful films I have ever seen. This really works on so many levels. As I see it, there has never been another film with a more important story to tell. It simply needs to be told, for many reasons.

Powder, as a human character, is among the easiest to relate to. While none of us will experience exactly what he experienced, I believe that every one of us can relate to the feelings of loneliness, isolation, etc. This experience of his is captured believably and beautifully in this film.

The writing, direction, and acting are the high points in the film. All of the characters--even the minor ones--are extremely well-developed. While they all may fit into a stereotype, their individual personalities really shine through. The truth is, we all fit into some stereotype or another. Just as true, however, is that we are all individually unique.

This film is just dripping with the kinds of pure, beautiful truth that most films don't even begin to touch. Truth be told, I think that most directors are genuinely afraid to go where this film goes. I've never seen another film that so beautifully depicts the true divine nature of humanity; that we are all connected to one another in a very real way; that it's possible to communicate without lies or deceits of any kind; and that every single human being is inherently beautiful. No exceptions. Every person is beautiful. Even the mean ones. To reveal how the film portrays these principles would be criminal. I urge you to watch this film.

As a warning, this is a very strong PG-13 film. It doesn't pull any punches. Had there been any more content, it most certainly would have been rated R. It does not contain any harsh nudity or sexuality. It does, however, have strong language and some images and situations that some may find disturbing. Unlike other films though, the content has a definite purpose, and in my opinion, it's done tastefully. With that said, one of the strengths of this film is that it tells the story that needs to be told, and it does this unapologetically. To tell it any other way would be to take away from its beauty and purpose. This is simply a beautiful film!