samkan I first separate films such as this (some refer to them as "art" films) into two categories. Does the maker(s) take the attitude, "I'm an insightful, sensitive genius and if you fail to notice you're an imbecile." or does he/she/they make an attempt to have the work be interesting and thought provoking to the average person? I put LULU in the latter category. It seems to me the work was truly trying to place some positive human attributes, aspirations, etc., above this life of suffering and sorrow. The acting was also exceptionally good.But even if a film passes the sincerity test, it does not necessarily mean it works and/or is a great film. LULU lacks the sheer audacity of a David Lynch flick, the disturbing impact of a Von Triar movie or the passion of a Herzog effort (I'd throw Aranofsky in, but he's really mainstream). Its enjoyable enough to watch but I didn't find myself torturing myself later on to find answers because I just don't think there was enough behind LULU's creation to make examination efforts worthwhile. I am left with some pleasant thoughts of love and life angst. But LULU just doesn't qualify as a heavy; e.g., like BLUE VELVET, DOGVILLE, or GRIZZLY MAN. Would definitely watch another film by this dude though.

ccthemovieman-1 This is mainly a two-actor film with Harvey Keitel playing a low-key (at least for him!) character and Mia Sorvino playing his young girlfriend. They dominate the story. In an odd way, this is an interesting film although a bit "soapy" in parts for my tastes. It has a bit of a mystifying element with this strange stone as part of the story, yet they don't elaborate on it. Actually, this is more of a romance story....but at leaves a number of questions. One doesn't quite figure out Willem Dafoe's character is in here and the ending was very strange and not altogether satisfying, either. Perhaps another look or two would have been a better option before writing this. I haven't read any reviews but I suspect people really got into this film and liked it or were bored to death. Actually, I was somewhere in the middle. I was more interested in the cinematography. Note: "Lulu" is named for a character played by silent screen star Louise Brooks.

sol1218 **SPOILERS** Strange little movie that has to do with a man who's forced to see himself for who he really is not who he want's people, as well as himself, to think what's he's really not. Famous jazz saxophone player Izzy Maurer, Harvey Keitel,is doing his gig at a Greenwich Village night spot when this deranged lunatic bursts in with a gun blazing away and catches Izzy with a bullet in his left-lung and then turns the gun on himself. Izzy recovering from this life-threatening injury at a local NYC hospital is told that his left lung had to be removed and that he'll never be able to play the saxophone again. This to Izzy is like being told that he died. Alone and depressed Izzy walks the streets of New York aimlessly until one night when he comes across this body in a dark alley shot dead with a bullet in his head. Checking out the stiffs wallet Izzy finds out that the dead mans name is Stanley Mar and among his personal effects is a napkin with a telephone number written on it and a small box that has a smaller box in it with a small red-striped stone. At his apartment Izzy finds that the stone has these strange magical powers that he just can't phantom and then calls the phone number on Mar's napkin to find that it belongs to a Celia Burns, Mira Sorvino. Celia is ironically listening to a CD of Izzy's music when he calls her! Izzy makes a date with Celia to come over and when he does he treats her so rudely that she almost asks him to leave or she'll call the police. It's only when Izzy explains to Celia about the stone, that emits a bright and soft blue light and levitates as well as shows her it's strange powers that she realizes, like he did, that it's something beyond the forces of nature! The stone also seems to have magical powers of healing and creating luck for those who have it in their possession. It's after that strange meeting the two besides falling madly in love with each other have things start to change for the better for both of them. Celia a struggling young actress who supports herself as a waitress working gets a major part, in fact the leading role, in the movie "Pandoras Box" playing the role of it's star Lulu. Izzy's depression suddenly disappears because of his affair, and attachment, to Celia but there's things that are about to break that will turn this blissful dream for the two lovebirds into a dark and terrifying nightmare. Traveling to Dublin Ireland to do the movie Celia tells Izzy to keep in touch by phone and come visit her but as the days go by there's no word at all from Izzy. Getting kidnapped back in New York by a bunch of hoodlums who think that he has Stanley's Mar's "magic stone", which he gave to Celia, Izzy is locked up in this empty warehouse and threatened with death if he doesn't talk. Celia shooting the movie "Pandora's Box" is a sensation on the set but at the same time is worried about her love Izzy who she hasn't heard from since she left New York. She soon get's so depressed by not hearing from him that one evening Celia, feeling dejected and abandoned, throws the "magic stone" into the nearby Liffey River. Being visited by this pseudo-shrink Dr. Van Horn, Willem DeFoe,Izzy is mentally tortured about his past and what a low-life rat he was to both his dad who's funeral he didn't attend and older brother Franz who hasn't spoken to him for seven years because of that. Izzy is about to break under Dr. Van Horn's brain-twisting tactics when he finally breaks out of his confinement and runs to the safety of the home of his friend Philip Kleinman,Mandy Patinkin,who's involved in the film that Celia is staring in.To both his surprise and shock Izzy finds that Celia had disappeared just before the filming of "Pandora's Box" was finished! It later turned that the poor girl committed suicide when after being chased by Dr. Van Horn and two of his goons thinking that she had the mystical stone on her Celia jumped off the Dublin Ha'Penny Bridge into the Liffey River and her body was never recovered. Izzy sobbing and in a state of complete depression sits alone in his apartment watching the out-takes, that Philip gave him, of the movie "Pandora's Box" with Celia in them. It's then that the biggest surprise of all in the movie "Lulu on the Bridge" is about to come and hit the audience with the force of a sledge hammer right between their eyes! A real honest to goodness LuLu!

Leszek5 It is unique opportunity to see good American movie. For thinking, not brainless people. I haven't seen for a long time an american movie I wouln't be able to guess the ending. This one really surprised me. I see two parralels to other artists.My first impression - this film has a lot of Krzysztof Kieslowski spirit. I can see the same sadness of loneliness in Mira Sorvino's eyes as in Irene Jacob eyes in "Double life of Veronique". LULU tells the same story - how lonely we are on this planet.Second impression - the movie is similar to "The Sixth Sense" in matter of post mortem life. It's hard to guess what is real, and what is imagination.Great movie for thinking people. Very positive surprise. And Lou Reed as "not Lou Reed" - great joke.