#97: A Study in Scarlet (1983) September 4, 2007
Posted by badblokebob in : Animation, adaptations, 2 stars, 1980s, Mystery, 2007, Sherlock Holmes , add a comment1983 | Ian Mackenzie & Alex Nicholas | 49 mins | DVD | U
Peter O’Toole is again the voice of the famous sleuth in this disappointing animated adaptation of the first Sherlock Holmes mystery. The adaptation is faithful to the original novel’s structure (sadly, as its a somewhat bizarre one, and ripe for a more interesting interpretation), but loses any elements pertaining to Holmes and Watson’s first meeting. The animation seems more basic than the other entry in this particular series that I’ve seen, and O’Toole’s performance is flatter; the rest of the cast don’t fair any better. The story itself isn’t a bad one, but after being pleasantly surprised by The Sign of Four I just found this to be disappointing.
#92: The Cat’s Meow (2001) August 23, 2007
Posted by badblokebob in : Drama, 2000s, adaptations, 3 stars, true stories, Mystery, films about films, 2007 , add a comment2001 | Peter Bogdanovich | 109 mins | DVD | 12 / PG-13
Possibly-true ‘murder mystery’ set in 1920s Hollywood. As with the similar Gosford Park, the point lies less in plot and more in characterisation — there are some good performances, especially from Eddie Izzard, Joanna Lumley and Edward Herrmann, though Kirsten Dunst seems a bit flat in comparison. The era’s style suits her though, and the whole period is beautifully evoked; for my money the prettiest scenes are the black & white bookends.
Sadly the similarity to Gosford Park is the film’s main shortcoming: once realised, it’s clear that Cat’s Meow doesn’t have the same subtle complexity in its story or performances. In its own right, though, there’s much to like.
#83: The Sign of Four (1983) August 20, 2007
Posted by badblokebob in : Animation, adaptations, 3 stars, 1980s, Mystery, 2007, Sherlock Holmes , add a comment1983 | Ian Mackenzie & Alex Nicholas | 49 mins | DVD | U
A slightly unusual one to review, this — it’s a 49-minute animated Sherlock Holmes adaptation from the ’80s, one of four in this particular series. But, as best I can tell from IMDb, it’s not specifically TV-based, and it does feature the voice of Peter O’Toole. Vocally he makes for a good Holmes, though the character design could be a little better. I can’t recall the original story well enough to comment on this as an adaptation, but it’s a decent mystery that’s well explained. The animation is not bad; certainly no worse than most kids’ TV animation from the ’80s and ’90s, and better than the flat Flash-animated stuff of today. A solid production.
#81: Stranger Than Fiction (2006) August 13, 2007
Posted by badblokebob in : Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, 2000s, 4 stars, Mystery, 2007, Marc Forster , add a comment2006 | Marc Forster | 108 mins | DVD | 12 / PG-13
Another of Empire’s best films of last year (this one was 21st). Forster is developing an eclectic filmography, with Oscar-nominated dramas Monster’s Ball and Finding Neverland alongside psychological thriller Stay and the 22nd Bond film. Stranger Than Fiction is different again, melding several styles into a cohesive whole — mystery, rom-com, existentialism, a bit of fantasy, and those Ikea graphics from Fight Club. Some plot beats may be cliched, but that’s almost the point; besides, there’s plenty of originality to make up for it. A few plot turns in the final act also make sure you’re never certain how it will end.
#66: Mystic River (2003) July 30, 2007
Posted by badblokebob in : Drama, Clint Eastwood, 2000s, adaptations, 4 stars, Mystery, 2007 , add a comment2003 | Clint Eastwood | 132 mins | DVD | 15 / R
The acting is the main draw of this Oscar-winning murder drama, in which three childhood friends who grew apart are brought back together when one of their daughters is murdered. Tim Robbins is particularly excellent, easily earning his Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Unfortunately most of the plot is not far above the standards of your average police procedural show, albeit fleshed out with more insight into the various characters and plot complexities — and, of course, with superior acting from all involved.
#65: The Woodsman (2004) July 16, 2007
Posted by badblokebob in : Drama, 2000s, 4 stars, Mystery, 2007 , add a comment2004 | Nicole Kassell | 84 mins | DVD | 15 / R
Kevin Bacon stars in this compelling drama. If anyone saw Channel 4’s recent Secret Life, this treads very similar ground — recently released paedophile struggles to fit back into the world and avoid recommitting former crimes. But whereas C4’s drama was issue-driven this is character-based; it doesn’t necessarily make it better, but it does make it different. Bacon manages the tricky task of eliciting sympathy and understanding as the paedophile (though perhaps not as much as Matthew Macfadyen did). A relatively intelligent look at what is usually a mindlessly treated subject.
#55: Chinatown (1974) June 11, 2007
Posted by badblokebob in : Thriller, Film Noir, Roman Polanski, 5 stars, 1970s, Mystery, 2007 , add a comment1974 | Roman Polanski | 131 mins | download | 15 / R
Polanski’s post-noir thriller follows J.J. Gittes, a private eye who begins investigating another cheating husband case but ends up drawn into a conspiracy that he can’t hope to beat. It’s often held up as an example of a perfectly structured screenplay, and the carefully considered reveal of character and plot throughout makes it easy to see why. It’s also packed with imagery and subtext for those who want it, but if that’s not your thing it still makes for a darn good thriller with a few neat twists.
