When I finished watching this film with my wife and daughter, I was surprised to hear their reaction. They both believed Prot (Kevin Spacey) was an alien. Not only that, but they WANTED him to be an alien. I couldn't help it, but my reaction to that, because I'm in the midst of watching and reviewing the original Star Trek episodes in order on this board, was 'Fascinating'.

When I first saw this film during it's original theatrical release, I recall being somewhat let down by it's conclusion. The story seemed to have what I considered a contrived ending. Watching it once again now, I have a wiser and deeper appreciation for the character of Prot, the shattered Robert Porter who subsumed his identity following the trauma of losing his family and exacting a revenge totally inimical to his true nature. Kevin Spacey is eerily brilliant in his portrayal of Prot, with a calmness of spirit and purpose that comes across as not only realistic, but oddly comical when the situation calls for it.

All that considered, one still requires a certain leap of faith to make the picture work. I'm thinking here of Prot's ability to precisely pin point the location of K-Pax to the satisfaction of the scientists. There's no way to explain a million to one shot like that in the course of every day events. And of course, there's no way to explain the disappearance of Bess. Yet, the three tasks given Howie (David Patrick Kelly) were a wonderful sub-text to carry the picture forward, and brilliant in it's simplicity. Particularly that last one - 'stay here and be prepared for anything'. Isn't that the best advice any one of us can have?

Prot (Kevin Spacey) appears without anyone noticing. He claims to be a space alien, and the police takes him into custody. Dr. Mark Powell (Jeff Bridges) tries to help him with his delusion. The problem is that evidence mounts that he's actually telling the truth.

With such interesting evidence, there should be a much more excited response especially from the astrophysicists. There is a great struggle of whether he is or isn't an alien. It's a pretty good movie until he starts on the hypnosis therapy. It goes to an uncomfortable and unlikeable area. And it's not like he takes them by surprise. He tells them the exact time and date. You would think there would be an army of people sitting there watching him just in case. The movie is a good idea with a good actor. It just writes itself into a bad corner.

Prot (Kevin Spacey) is a man who claims to be an alien from planet K-Pax. He is sent to an asylum, considered as a crazy guy. Dr. Mark Powell (Jeff Bridges) is his psychiatrist, who gets close to his patient and questions his origins. Is Prot an alien or a lunatic? This movie is very different and does not present many clichés. Even at my home, my wife and I have different perceptions and interpretations of this character. Being polemic is a great quality for this type of movie. Is it a drama or a sci-fi story? The alternative end and the deleted scenes on DVD (DTS system) show more explicit details regarding Prot. The movie is a little bit longer than necessary, but it deserves to be watched more than one time. My vote, based on my first impression of this movie, is six.

Title (Brazil): "K-PAX"