Probably Brad Pitt's best acting performance

This is a fascinating and memorable film. If you are a fan of either Brad Pitt or Bruce Willis, it's a must see. If you enjoy societal satire or science-fiction/suspense, it's a must see. If you like films that are thoughtfully and artistically directed with well-written scripts, it's a must see.

So what's it about? Describing the plot is no easy task, because it's fragmented and there is time travel involved so it's like trying to describe a collage of events.

The main character is James, (played by Bruce Willis) and he is sent from the future (by "the scientists") to collect information from the past (1996, specifically) about a virus that wipes out most of mankind.

A mistake is made, and he is transported to the year 1990, where/when he is collected by the mental health professionals of the time, who of course think he is insane.

While in the mental hospital, he meets Jeffrey (played by Brad Pitt) who explains to James (and us) that the entire world is insane because all people care about today is shopping. He says something like, "If you're not a consumer, then what are you? Mentally ill." And "There is no right and wrong, only popular opinion." While you watch and listen to Jeffrey, you're confused. Because he does seem "insane" and yet a lot of what he says is very logical, philosophical, and very possibly true.

The "scientists" from the future zap James back, and when they realize they have made an error, they have to send him back again. The psychiatrists in 1990, only know that a man who was bound and in a secluded room, mysteriously disappeared. One of those psychiatrist's is Catherine (played by Madeline Stowe).

When James gets to 1996, he kidnaps Catherine, and at first he tries to explain to her about the scientists, and the time travel, and the mission to stop the virus. As he gets to know her, he begins to like her and he wants to stay with her on the surface, so he tries to convince himself that her "reality" is the truth. The irony here is that the more he starts to agree with her way of thinking, the more she has discovered that what he was saying was true.

During the 6 years that passed, Jeffrey (who is the son of a scientist who specializes in viruses) released from the hospital, has started an organization called The Army of the 12 Monkeys, which was basically an animal rights activist's group. But the "scientists" from the future believe that this group is connected to the virus. So James spends his time in 1996 trying to get information about the 12 Monkeys.

The ending is also the climax and I won't give it away. But it makes a lot of sense when you think of time travel in an existential kind of way.

The acting performances are perfection in this film. Brad Pitt should have won the award for Best Supporting Actor. He is unforgettable as Jeffrey, and delivers the best lines of the film with such force that they are quotable. Madeline Stowe and Bruce Willis play well together and although their characters are not as outrageous as Pitt's, they are both equally convincing.

This is a film that I very much recommend to be part of a video library. It's a film that can be viewed over and over and there is always something new to discover or appreciate. Excellent work here.