Eureka Details

A disappointment

A baffling misfire from director Roeg, this bizarre tale concerns the world's richest man (Hackman) under fire from gangsters and his own family. Fans of Roeg will know what to expect; obtuse symbolism, breathtaking cinematography and some suitably offbeat performances.

However, Eureka has serious problems. The film is paced so badly that the viewer may feel that they are watching three different films bolted together. In addition, the extremely peripheral nature and sketchiness of some of the characters will have the viewer repeatedly scratching their head. The film also takes some unreadable left turns at times (a whole scene set at a voodoo ceremony, for example) which reek of symbolism for the sake of it, and has some very graphic and frankly unecessary violence. Sadly, the result of this is that at the melodramatic climax, few viewers will care even slightly about the way in which Roeg tries to tie his themes together (a fact not helped by the slightness of the way he does so). Primarily a curiosity for Roeg fans only.

[Highly rated reviewer]

dodgy

This film starts like it's going to deliver Jack London's Burning Daylaight on celluloid, and then degenerates incoroprating cynical seventies and eighties into its story. I wasn't convinced by it when it was first released and i hadn't patience to sit through it all so i scanned through second half. There was something unpleasant about the whole film, which maybe had to do with some sort of amorality with which the film was imbued but not quite sufficiently saturated, i couldn't care for any of its characters one way or another. Makes me doubt other Roeg's films. It's hard work watching this one.