The Caveman's Valentine (2001)

Powerful

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The Caveman's Valentine has always fascinated me. As someone who has a mental illness, I've always tried my best to seek out films that portray such conditions in a respectable, inquisitive and enlightening tone. While this one cushions it's earnestness with a slightly lurid and generic murder mystery, much of its desire to explore its character's inner mindset shine through superbly and with much more authenticity than other films that try the same. Unless you suffer through, or have some intimate experience with someone like this protagonist, it's tough to artistically represent their state. This one manages very well, and Samuel L. Jackson gives one of the most memorable, affecting and curiously overlooked performances of his career so far. Jackson is an actor who almost always gets cast in assured, authoritative roles. Here he portrays exactly the opposite of that as Romulus, a severely schizophrenic man who lives in a cave in Central Park, New York City. Romulus was once a brilliant pianist and a student at Juilliard, before his illness cut his career and personal life painfully short. He spends his days in confusion, raving in delusion about an all powerful man named Stuyvesant who secretly manipulates everyone in the city. When a young man is found murdered near his cave door, he feels an internal compulsion to find out what happened to him. As you might imagine, a man with his affliction might not make the most reliable detective, but Romulus tries his best and in between bouts of paranoia he makes his way towards weirdo avant grade photographer David Leppenraub (always excellent Colm Feore) who may have had something to do with the homicide. He also has a daughter (Aunjanue Ellis) who is a policewoman and somewhat resents him through her ignorance, and a wife (Tamara Tunie) who no doubt left, but still speaks to him in segments of his visions. Because his perceptions can't be trusted, even by himself, it makes it a touch and go plot-line that's heavily accented by frequent visual detours into his own consciousness, where humanoid Moth Sarefs hauntingly play unearthly instruments. Director Kasi Lemmons is not only a woman, but an actress herself, both traits which I believe lead to a certain intuitive advantage in filmmaking. I absolutely love how she moulds the narrative to patiently linger with Romulus's perception of events and never make them sensationalistic or rushed. Even though Romulus walks through a dangerous, real world story of murder and corruption, the film always sticks with his childlike, abstract and very intangible internal view of the world, a choice which most films either don't possess the courage or aren't allowed to do. Jackson is subtle, complex dynamite in what is for me the best work of his career, playing completely against type and most definitely the opposite of his usual instincts to give us something truly special, to any viewer who wishes to exhibit the same patience and understanding that the filmmakers have strived for in making this unique piece.

Always enjoy every film that Samuel L. Jackson,(Romulus Ledbetter) has performed and in this film he sort of plays a crazy way out character who is homeless and lives in a cave, but not Central Park N Y. You will see Romulus wandering in the streets of New York picking through the garbage and cursing at a man in the tower of the Chrysler Building who he believes is after him to do him harm. Romulus finds a friend of his up in a tree frozen to death and turns his attention to David Leppenraub, (Colin Feore) who had hired a photographer to take pictures while his friend was being tortured. Romulus decides to become a detective and tries to solve this case but he has a daughter on the NYC police force who helps her father once in a while and a wife who has given up on poor Romulus. There is one scene where Romulus decides to clean himself up and shave and get a decent pair of clothes and show people what a great pianist he is and a former student from the Julliard School of Music. Romulus does get into the sack with David's Leppenraub wife and has some very steamy love scenes. Great entertaining film, enjoy.

This has to be one of my favorite movies. It is very underrated. I am a movie clerk at a local video store and I have always suggested this movie to people who are fans of either Samuel Jackson, or Dramatic thrillers / mysteries. Samuel L. Jackson does a fantastic job as his acting and the music score tie in perfectly with the devilish angels in his mind. As some of the other comments have already expressed, the whole overall movie makes for an incredible life-like view into a mind that is psychologically disturbed. If someone is looking for a good intense thriller and can withstand a movie that is not action-filled, this is a must see. It will leave you thinking for days after.

The Caveman's Valentine was really a disappointing film.Sure Sam Jackson put on a great performance and Terence Blanchard's score was great especially the theme but other than that this one is a stinker.During the whole film I thought that Colm Feore looked just like Liam Neesan but without hair.Sometimes you just don't know what is happening in the film and I didn't care for that mixed sex scene either.I really can't say any more except only see this if you are a hardcore fan of Samuel L. Jackson!