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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
Writer-director Paul Schrader is best known for dark examinations of the human soul; he wrote Taxi Driver and wrote and directed such austere character studies as Mishima and Affliction. So it's not surprising that when he made a comedy it turned out to be a little off kilter. What may catch fans off guard is the sweetness and gentle rhythms of Touch, adapted from Elmore Leonard's novel about an unassuming faith healer. Down-on-his-luck evangelist Bill Hill (Christopher Walken) discovers Juvenal (Skeet Ulrich), a former monk with a gift. Hill swiftly enrolls his former assistant Lynn (Bridget Fonda) to get close to Juvenal and discover if his healing touch is for real. After witnessing Juvenal's power--and the stigmata that accompanies it--Lynn feels drawn to and frightened of the low-key healer, who slowly courts her as he in turn is wooed by Hill and a number of other religious and media vultures, culminating in a confrontation on a talk show hosted by Gina Gershon (Showgirls). Touch features quirky cameos by Janeane Garofalo, John Doe, and Lolita Davidovich, but the real juice of the movie comes from the likeable, assured, and surprisingly subtle performances of Ulrich and Fonda; their chemistry gives them both a relaxed sexiness that some of their other movies lack. Despite being a bit miscast, Walken comes up with some surprising and very funny moments of mischief. The movie also gets a boost from a crackling soundtrack by Dave Grohl of Nirvana and the Foo Fighters. --Bret Fetzer
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - interesting film
I'm a skeet ulrich fan and i LOVED him in this role and he looked so angelic.
this is a trippy little film that i found very interesting as well as the comments it makes on society and religion.
and how can you go wrong with christopher walken??
Rating: - Touch me
I liked this film. It's the story of a young man who has a special healing "touch" that causes stigmata, bleeding from the body where Jesus also bled from his crucifixion(hands, feet, and side). Juvenal(Skeet Ulrich)is the main character. He has no idea why this happens to him and truly wishes it wouldn't. He does like healing people, though, which toughens his dilemma. I also read the book by Elmore Leonard. What impresses me mostly about this movie is how closely Skeet Ulrich portrays the ... Read More
Rating: - Interesting...
This is not the kind of movie which is destined to break box-office records.
I'm going to start in a pessimistic sort of way, by saying that almost every character in the film is a caricature of some sort. There's Christopher Walken as a money-vampire who looks at a miracle and starts making plans to exploit it. There's Tom Arnold, the religious fanatical - enough said. There are Gina Gershon and Janeane Garofalo in supporting roles as an incisive talk show host and a cynical newspaper ... Read More
Rating:  - A Refreshing Look at God, Faith, Love and Media
Don't be fooled by the subject matter - an ex-monk, who can heal the sick by touching them, but suffers stigmata each time, gets caught up in a whirl of religious fanatics, big-business evangelists and ratings-hungry media - this is a sweet and touching romantic comedy! Leave it to Paul Schrader to find a way to do some heavy soul-searching without getting heavy-handed, yet always remaining quirky as we know him from his dramas. A wonderful supporting cast (Christopher Walken, Tom Arnold, Janeane Garofalo, ... Read More
Rating: - I finally found what I was looking for and Love it!!!
I have been looking for this movie since I saw it on a cable channel some time ago. I was looking for a movie titled "Hands", I had no idea it was called "Touch". A perfect title for a perfect movie. I love Skeet Ulrich in all his performances. Just one date. :)~ I enjoyed the way that Skeet had to portray a "Holy" man and yet he wasn't a "Holy" man. This leads to the idea that "The Powers that Be" could use anyone at anytime. The movie offered hope and faith. This is a must see if you haven't!!
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