Kevin Spacey plays Prot, a man who claims to have come from planet K-Pax. Jeff Bridges is Dr Mark Powell, a psychiatrist, who tries to find out if Prot is telling the truth or not.

There is much evidence which points to Prot's story being true: A sensitivity to ultraviolet light, knowledge of a little known constellation which he knows the orbits of, various methods of heeling patients in the asylum, a conversation with a dog... He apparently goes missing from incarceration for three days at one point...

"I just don't believe in hypnosis, I want my money back. Powell didn't even get Prot to do a chicken impression and all, where's the entertainment value in that?"

"I was sitting next to a woman in the cinema who was brought out of a deep sleep by Jeff Bridges in this movie."

"If Jeff Bridges has done a self-hypnosis tape I want me some of that."

"So, that's what a knocker is."

"A nice little ad for Yahoo in there. Well done guys."

"A moment of flashback hell, thankfully only in brown and white."

"OK, so is he or isn't he? What's a country girl like me to think? I originally thought yes, then I thought no. Then I thought no again for the longest time, now I'm not so sure. OK professor, what do you think?": "Shit, Bitch, it's obvious. He was using the guy's body all along like a parasite. I bet Dr Shit won't let him push his kid on the swings again now. Bitch, get me another meat sandwich."

"Why is a soap bubble round? So I look like a human? Prot, you're making a calm God fearing Republican want to go get his gun when you talk like that son."

Powell traces Prot's story and discovers that he is (could be using the body of) a Robert Porter who killed a man, wife and child in New Mexico, Santa Rosa, five years ago...

However, when it comes for Prot to 'go home' a light source does indeed appear at the predicted time, however Prot's body remains, albeit apparently changed (something ...Spirit?... removed?). Bess, one of the asylum buddies, disappears after the Prot deadline passes, has she been taken to K-Pax?

Prot's body remains. He is last seen being wheelchaired about, his asylum audience sure he has gone back to K-Pax.

Kevin Spacey continues to deliver performances of the finest truffle like caliber, from the choicest, juiciest, firmest scripts available. Not bad for a crumpled forty something still working in Hollywood these days.

I can not remember a movie this year which gripped me so, not quite as much as the nuts in a vice quote, obviously, but I really hoped he would go back at the end, but alas it seems he remained, or did he?

All possible, apart from the three days absence which is a little unlikely in the middle. The whole movie however is a fine journey with an ending about as good as you could get on the budget.

"He looks like Data."

"Now if you'll excuse me I have a beam of light to catch."

Star quote: Prot: "The reproductive process is quite unpleasant." Powell: "Could you explain it to me using something I would understand like a tooth ache?" Prot:" It's more like having your nuts in a vice but we can feel it all over...and what is worse the sensation is associated with something like your nausea accompanied by a very bad smell. The moment of climax is like being kicked in the stomach, and then falling in a pool of Mot droppings."

A bunch of six banana's - eat without peeling them for the authentic Prot experience.

On an overhead projector facing the ceiling. Lay on your back with your legs wide open.

This is a script led movie. A thinking man's sci-fi. It is the understatedness, or at least the ordinariness of the situation, which makes this story so intriguing. Some argue 'it aint a Sci-fi movie without the phasers and gunk and silly shaped foreheads and grunting' - those sci-fi fans will be disappointed in this movie, there is not a phaser in sight.

Never trust a guy who wears sun glasses indoors, unless he's Bono.

75 minutes (out of 115).

A garden sprinkler set, and a 'How to scream in slow motion' course.

Dogs will be excited at the possibility that Robin Williams will pop up at any moment in this movie. He doesn't but don't tell the mutt that, or you could run the risk of a return to that annoying raised leg fart period it went through when it was a pup.

Cats have a soft spot for Jeff Bridges ever since his performance in Jagged Edge - cats like a guy with that kind of 'tude. Unfortunately this is not one of Jeff Bridges most grisly performances. Some cats may choose to walk around urinating at choice points in the room to lay their territorial limits - threaten them with a nut cracker.

Sloths will enjoy this movie as there is hardly any action.

Unfortunately there is a moment of internet technobabble madness which could upset reality connoisseurs. Dr Powell, and his assistant, use Yahoo to look up local news stories from a given date, 5 years ago. The assistant goes straight to the page required. A little unlikely...

As is the moment in the observatory where the computer takes the lines drawn by Prot to confirm their accuracy...

In the movie's defense, however, pencils are used for writing rather than lap top computers. High five. Whoop!

No. It is up for the talking about messy sex award, however, see the star quote above.

A joy to get an intelligent non-pretentious movie at the time of its release (2001-2). We really wanted him to be from K-Pax, the ending leaves it open.

A sunglasses wearing jewel amidst the teen-chaff at this point of movie history. Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey are both superb.

October 7 , 2002