The Singing Detective
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Movie Reviews of The Singing Detective
Movie Review: Downey is The Singing Detective
Summary: 4 Stars
During the first five minutes of this surrealistic film noir, surprisingly steeped knee deep in reality, we watched principal character, Dan Dark/Robert Downey Jr, literally ravage against hospital staff members, hurling verbal obscenities and dishing out caustic abuse at random. There was no mistaking from the get go, Downey is back where his talents were first discovered, which is on the big screen and he is more than comfortable wearing this skin. Dark’s only weapon is his acid tongue as he’s rendered useless, while laid flat out, trapped inside of a body covered by lesions, symptomatic of a debilitating form of psoriasis. Not only is his body stiff, but his hands are curled, with limited, rigid movements and that doesn’t begin take into consideration the restless turmoil existing inside of his mind. This is the place where he feels most imprisoned and helpless. A sort of pergatory, where he dwells while waiting for his fate to unfold. Before the Toronto screening began, Robert Downey stood on stage after having been introduced by the director of the Toronto film festival, Piers Handling and jokingly made mention that we, the audience, should be mindful to respond to his character’s vast range of emotions. He requested that we were to laugh when he was funny and to emit sadness when he was unhappy. Within minutes of watching Dark execute such intense suffering on screen, it wasn’t a difficult task at all to follow Downey’s suggestion and instantly become caught up in his pain. Not easy to look at during the first hour onscreen, except for the hallucination sequences, Dan Dark was a disgusting sight to behold. Unleashing his self-loathing onto others seemed to serve as a temporary release for his pent up hurts, but certainly did nothing to endear him to the people who were there to attempt to assist him in his recovery from that torture.
Having enjoyed the mini-series, I appreciated the many ways creator, Dennis Potter interjected and interwove characters and scenes, in and out of the starkness of the hospital setting, to the tainted, inner workings of the detective novelist’s mind, as bedridden Dark lay haunted by unresolved memories from his emotionally abusive youth. After engaging in a sordid affair, Dark’s mother uprooted herself and her little boy to go to work as a prostitute, while doing little to shield her child from her new vocation. These actions resulted in Dark having little faith or trust in women. As a result, he subliminally projected those beliefs, in conjunction with his anger, onto the female characters in his stories. And onto his wife who becomes the recipient of most of his venom. All of this occurs concurrently with another one of his detective stories, while he envisions himself as the hard-boiled hero of his novels. Trying to solve crime inside of the pages and simultaneously attempting to get a grip on the unspeakable hurts from his past, still existing within his fertile mind. During Dark’s journeys into his vivid hallucinations and his childhood, 50’s song and dance routines spring to life as he works towards uncovering the root of his illness, aided by the unconventional methods of one Dr. Gibbon, uniquely portrayed by Downey’s long time friend, Mel Gibson.
While watching the revised film, which was also written by Potter himself, I couldn’t help but think perhaps the original was a little lengthy. I believe director, Keith Gordon did a splendid job of utilizing Potter’s initial recreation to the fullest without losing the integrity of the plot or needlessly compromising the images and emotions projected on screen by the film’s key players. This comedic version is not as dark as the mini-series and that is how Potter wanted it. As an audience, we were led on a fascinating journey while wondering every so often what was fact and what indeed was fiction, which for me was part of the magic of the film’s concept. I enjoy being challenged when I watch a movie and don’t like things to be too contrived or to be hit over the head repeatedly with obviousness. Not convoluted like the original, this revised film was delightful to watch and just when some of the heavier scenes started to make me squirm, something humourous would occur from out of the blue. Not only was Dark being chased by his own shadow and two thugs, but he also suffered from acute paranoia, believing his wife was after his money and it was hysterical at times watching him try to distinguish his demons from his angels.
In addition to a wonderful performance by Mel Gibson, who shares some brilliant scenes with Downey, each supporting cast member is terrific and important to the story and it’s merit. Robin Wright Penn and Downey have excellent chemistry and Katie Holmes, who is featured as Dark’s sexy but benevolent nurse is oh, so sweet. Carla Gugino’s dual role as Dark’s mother and the victim in his novel is equally memorable, with Adrian Brody providing light-hearted support as one of the “bad” guys. A criticism would be that I would have enjoyed seeing Holmes character receive more screen time, but her role was certainly key to the story and provided levity and sexual fantasy to Dark’s brooding mental state.
The concept of the film is different and doesn’t conform to rules or a formula often utilized by Hollywood studios, but it’s refreshing and people felt uplifted when it concluded with Downey himself singing a soothing rendition of Gene Vincent’s “In My Dreams” as the credits rolled across the screen. Clearly and unequivocally, this film belongs to Robert Downey Jr., as he literally consumes and lives within the soul of the movie. He is absolutely outstanding in the role of Dan Dark as he moves seamlessly from physically and emotionally crippled patient with the razor sharp wit, to street smart detective, to heartbreakingly handsome crooner of the after hours clubs. He’s bright. He’s funny. He’s poignant and he can make you cry at the drop of a hat while he reminds you in every single scene just what a damned good actor he is. Downey’s secret is that he pulls out all of the stops with a natural and effortless flair. It’s been a long time since I’ve laughed that frequently or my emotions have been toyed with so shamelessly while being transformed from my comfort zone to a new kind of Twilight Zone. Money well spent for an evening of guaranteed entertainment.
Movie Review: Robert Downey Jr., is The Singing Detective
Summary: 4 Stars
During the first five minutes of this surrealistic film noir, surprisingly steeped knee deep in reality, we watched principal character, Dan Dark/Downey literally ravage against hospital staff members, hurling verbal obscenities and dishing out caustic abuse at random. Dark’s only weapon is his acid tongue as he’s rendered useless, while laid flat out, trapped inside of a body covered by lesions, symptomatic of a debilitating form of psoriasis. Not only is his body stiff, but his hands are curled, with limited, rigid movements and that doesn’t begin take into consideration the restless turmoil existing within his mind. This is the place where he feels most imprisoned and helpless. A sort of pergatory, where he dwells while waiting for his fate to unfold. I appreciated the many ways creator, Dennis Potter, interjected and interwove characters and scenes, in and out of the starkness of the hospital setting, to the tainted, inner workings of the detective novelist’s mind, as bedridden Dark lay haunted by unresolved memories from his emotionally abusive youth. After engaging in a sordid affair, Dark’s mother uprooted herself and her little boy to go to work as a prostitute, while doing little to shield her child from her new vocation. These actions resulted in Dark having little faith or trust in women. As a result, he subliminally projected those beliefs, in conjunction with his anger, onto the female characters in his stories. And onto his wife who becomes the recipient of most of his venom. All of this occurs concurrently with another one of his detective stories, while he envisions himself as the hard-boiled hero of his novels. Trying to solve crime inside of the pages and simultaneously attempting to get a grip on the unspeakable hurts from his past, still existing within his fertile mind. During Dark’s journeys into his vivid hallucinations and his childhood, 50’s song and cheesy dance routines spring to life as he works towards uncovering the root of his illness, aided by the unconventional methods of one Dr. Gibbon, uniquely portrayed by Downey’s friend, Mel Gibson.
Director, Keith Gordon, did a splendid job of utilizing Potter’s initial recreation to the fullest without losing the integrity of the plot or compromising the images and emotions projected on screen by the film’s key players. This comedic version is not as dark as the mini-series and that's how Potter wanted it. As an audience, we were led on a fascinating journey, while wondering what was fact or fiction, which for me was part of the magic of the film’s concept. I enjoy being prodded a little when I watch a movie and don’t like to be hit over the head with obviousness. Not convoluted, but challenging, this revised film was delightful to watch. Just when some of the heavier scenes started to make me squirm, something humourous would occur from out of the blue. Not only was Dark being chased by his own shadow and two thugs, but he also suffered from acute paranoia, believing his wife was after his money and it was hysterical at times watching him try to distinguish his demons from his angels.
In addition to a wonderful performance by Mel Gibson, who shares some brilliant scenes with Downey, each supporting cast member is terrific and important to the story and it’s merit. Robin Wright Penn and Downey have excellent chemistry and Katie Holmes, who is featured as Dark’s sexy but benevolent nurse is oh, so sweet. Carla Gugino’s dual role as Dark’s mother and the victim in his novel is equally memorable, with Adrian Brody providing light-hearted support as one of the “bad” guys. I would have enjoyed seeing Holmes character receive more screen time, but her role was certainly key to the story and provided levity and sexual fantasy to Dark’s brooding mental state.
The concept of the film is different and doesn’t conform to rules or a formula often utilized by Hollywood studios, yet far more refreshing. A highlight was listening to Downey himself sing a soothing rendition of Gene Vincent’s “In My Dreams” as the credits rolled across the screen. Clearly and unequivocally, this film belongs to Robert Downey Jr., as he literally consumes and lives within the soul of the movie. He is simply outstanding in the role of Dan Dark as he moves seamlessly from physical and emotionally crippled patient with razor sharp wit, to street smart detective, to heartbreakingly handsome crooner of the after hours clubs. He’s bright. He’s funny. He’s poignant and he reminds you in every single scene just what a damned good actor he is. (No wonder Sean Penn tipped his hat to Downey when receiving his own best actor Oscar this year.) Downey’s secret is that he pulls out all of the stops with a natural and effortless flair. It’s been a while since I’ve chuckled that frequently, or my emotions have been toyed with so shamelessly while being transformed from my comfort zone to a new kind of Twilight Zone. Money well spent for an evening of guaranteed, but unusual entertainment.
Movie Review: Robert Downey Jr., is The Singing Detective
Summary: 4 Stars
During the first five minutes of this surrealistic film noir, surprisingly steeped knee deep in reality, we watched principal character, Dan Dark/Robert Downey Jr, literally ravage against hospital staff members, hurling verbal obscenities and dishing out caustic abuse at random. Dark's only weapon is his acid tongue as he's rendered useless, while laid flat out, trapped inside of a body covered by lesions, symptomatic of a debilitating form of psoriasis. Not only is his body stiff, but his hands are curled, with limited, rigid movements and that doesn't take into consideration the restless turmoil existing within his mind. This is the place where he feels most imprisoned and helpless. A sort of pergatory, where he dwells while waiting for his fate to unfold.I appreciated the many ways creator, Dennis Potter, interjected and interwove characters and scenes, in and out of the starkness of the hospital setting, to the tainted, inner workings of the detective novelist's mind, as bedridden Dark lay haunted by unresolved memories from his emotionally abusive youth. After engaging in a sordid affair, Dark's mother uprooted herself and her little boy to go to work as a prostitute, while doing little to shield the child from her new vocation. These actions resulted in Dark having little faith or trust in women. As a result, he subliminally projected those beliefs, in conjunction with his anger, onto the female characters in his stories. And onto his wife who becomes the recipient of most of his venom. All of this occurs concurrently, with another one of his detective stories, while he envisions himself as the hard-boiled hero of his novels. Trying to solve crime inside of the pages and simultaneously attempting to get a grip on the unspeakable hurts from his past, still living within his fertile mind. While Dark journeys into his vivid hallucinations and his childhood, cheesy 50's song and dance routines spring to life as he works towards uncovering the root of his illness, aided by the unconventional methods of one Dr. Gibbon, uniquely portrayed by Downey's long time friend, Mel Gibson.
Director, Keith Gordon, did a splendid job of utilizing Potter's initial recreation to the fullest without losing the integrity of the plot or needlessly compromising the images and emotions projected on screen by the film's key players. This comedic version is not as dark as the mini-series and that is how Potter wanted it. As an audience, we were led on a fascinating journey while wondering every so often what was fact and what indeed was fiction, which for me was part of the magic of the film's concept. I enjoy being challenged when I watch a movie and don't want to be hit over the head repeatedly with obviousness. Not convoluted, but challenging, this revised film was delightful to watch and just when some of the heavier scenes started to make me squirm, something humourous would occur from out of the blue. Not only was Dark being chased by his own shadow and two thugs, but he also suffered from acute paranoia, believing his wife was after his money. It was hysterical at times watching him try to distinguish his demons from his angels.
In addition to a wonderful performance by Mel Gibson, who shares some brilliant scenes with Downey, each supporting cast member is terrific and important to the story and it's merit. Robin Wright Penn and Downey have excellent chemistry and Katie Holmes, who is featured as Dark's sexy but benevolent nurse is oh, so sweet. Carla Gugino's dual role as Dark's mother and the victim in his novel is equally memorable, with Adrian Brody providing light-hearted support as one of the "bad" guy. I would have enjoyed seeing Nurse Mills (Holmes) receive more screen time, but her role was certainly key to the story and provided levity and sexual fantasy to Dark's brooding mental state.
The concept of the film is different and doesn't conform to rules or a formula often utilized by Hollywood studios, but it's far more refreshing. A highlight was listening to Downey himself sing a soothing rendition of Gene Vincent's "In My Dreams" as the credits rolled across the screen. Clearly and unequivocally, this film belongs to Robert Downey Jr., as he literally consumes and lives within the soul of the movie. He is simply outstanding in the role of Dan Dark as he moves seamlessly from the physical and emotionally crippled patient with the razor sharp wit, to street smart detective, to heartbreakingly handsome crooner of the after hours clubs. (No wonder Sean Penn tipped his hat to Downey's performance when receiving his own best actor Oscar this year.) He's bright. He's funny. He's poignant and reminds you in every single scene just what a damned good actor he is. Downey's secret is that he pulls out all of the stops with a natural and effortless flair. It's been a long time since I've chuckled that often, or my emotions have been toyed with so shamelessly while being transformed from my comfort zone to a new kind of Twilight Zone. Money well spent for an evening of guaranteed entertainment.
Movie Review: Touched by Genius
Summary: 4 Stars
The film is a strange animal, all right, a work sans genre, and at times Gordon seems to have overreached himself, grasping for effects he isn't quite able to achieve. The various styles, moods, and genres give the film a slightly garish, amateurish feel, yet in the end (perhaps consciously on Gordon's part) this very awkwardness works in the film's favor. The Singing Detective is a remarkably ingenuous work, fresh and daring, almost childlike in its lack of pretension, and easily one of the most original American movies of the last twenty years. Above all, it showcases Robert Downey Jr.'s raging, embittered psoriasis-afflicted pulp writer, inside whose head the whole movie (more or less) takes place, and Downey gives an inventive, powerful performance, what may be the apotheosis of his enormous talent. Praise for Downey notwithstanding, on its release Gordon's film met with a wall of critical resistance, a veritable consensus of contempt. This may have been due in part (in the UK at least) to a fondness for Potter's original TV series; but it was perhaps due even more to the basic incompatibility of Potter's idiosyncratic, scathing vision with mainstream (critical) tastes. Whatever the case, the movie once again tragically failed to find its audience.
As with his previous adaptations, Gordon respected the source material without revering it, and as a director, he has a rare gift: the ability to fuse his own sensibility and talents with his subject at a fundamental level. In the case of The Singing Detective, it was a somewhat less seamless fusion; Potter's vision (his bizarre blend of musical fantasy with bleak psychological realism) was so startlingly original it required another sensibility at least as strong and eccentric to fuse with. Gordon doesn't quite possess (yet) the surrealist gifts to make Potter's vision his own, or to take it to the next level (David Lynch might be the only director capable of that). He's a proficient director in every way, and seems to be blessed with a natural rapport with actors (perhaps why so many good ones want to work with him). Yet Gordon isn't a visionary director, and this was a visionary script. Fortunately, he had a visionary actor at a career peak to take up the slack, and Downey carries the day.
The Singing Detective isn't a masterpiece; it's flawed and fractured and at times thin, even facile and occasionally redundant (most especially in the pseudo-noir sequences). But it's an imaginative and fearless piece of cinema, an admirably eccentric work that manages to do something like justice to a brilliant piece of writing. Full of inventive delights and heartfelt touches, it leaves most other recent American films in the dust. Yet it flopped badly, both in the UK and the US, being so poorly reviewed that many people (myself included) gave it a miss, wary of the stench of failure. As it happened, the bad smells came not from the film but from critics too corrupt and jaded to recognize a work of art when they saw it.
(Excerpt from "True to the Muse: Keith Gordon's Life on the Fringe," from DOGVILLE VS. HOLLYWOOD, by Jake Horsley)
Movie Review: Great Cast & Direction Drive Compelling Potter Update
Summary: 4 Stars
The 2003 film version of THE SINGING DETECTIVE is by turns funny, scathing, and poignant, a woefully underrated look into a writer's psyche. If you don't have time to watch Dennis Potter's landmark TV miniseries (also available on home video), Potter's screenplay for this movie version (written 2 years before his untimely death) does a great job of condensing the story of novelist Dan Dark's (Robert Downey Jr.) battle with severe chronic psoriasis and personal demons. Throughout the movie, the bitter, suffering Dark weaves in and out of reality and delirious re-imaginings of the people and events in his life as they'd appear in the titular novel starring Dark's tough private eye alter ego. Actor-turned-director Keith Gordon stages this wild ride through Dark's mind with a style that owes as much to David Lynch and the Coen Brothers as it does to Potter. The British miniseries' lip-synched 1940s musical set pieces are retooled as American 1950s rock 'n' roll numbers -- call me a Philistine, but I think the updating works even better than the original (and believe me, I loved the original)! As a writer, I found THE SINGING DETECTIVE to be a fine example of how one's life and experiences creep into one's writing no matter what genre you write in. Each and every member of the stellar cast is letter-perfect, with particularly good, sharp chemistry between Downey and, respectively, Robin Wright Penn (I've always loved her name; it's especially appropriate for someone playing a writer's wife :-), and producer Mel Gibson (as Dark's seemingly goofy but astute and compassionate therapist, Gibson is all but unrecognizable in bald drag; Greg Cannom's F/X makeup serves both Gibson and Downey well. In fact, Downey's psoriasis makeup is so good you might not want to watch this while eating!). It's a shame THE SINGING DETECTIVE didn't do better with critics or at the box office, or Downey probably would've been a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination. I could empathize with Downey as the angry, clever, pain-racked (physically and emotionally) Dan Dark even when he wasn't particularly likable. The versatile Downey could be a Bogart for the Aughties if he could keep his own personal demons under control. I also enjoyed seeing our household fave Adrien Brody in a relatively lighthearted (for this film :-) role as one of a pair of Dark's fictional hoods with a bumbling streak. Jon Polito completes the pair; he and Brody are like an amoral Abbott & Costello. Their repartee cracked me up, especially their "Patti Page" exchange early in the film (just watching Brody mouthing the barks in "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?" is worth the rental price! :-). Give this new SINGING DETECTIVE a try next time you're in the video store and in the mood for something different. If you rent the DVD and like it, watch it again with Keith Gordon's commentary track on; he has lots of intriguing and entertaining things to say about the making of the film, particularly about the cast and how he and his crew got those great surreal effects on a low budget.