The Singing Detective
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Movie Reviews of The Singing Detective
Movie Review: A pale imitation of the classic TV series
Summary: 2 Stars
The original BBC television series THE SINGING DETECTIVE, written by Dennis Potter, is by any standard one of the milestones of television. It was a weird but spectacularly successful blend of hospital drama, film noir, psychological thriller, and surreal musical that managed to strike the right balance between its disparate elements to create something utterly unique and magical. Michael Gambon was perfect in the lead, and he was complemented by a first rate cast, including Bill Patterson and Joanna Whalley.Now we have a very odd thing indeed: a film version of a television series, complete with an all star cast of such performers as Robert Downey Jr., Mel Gibson (all but unrecognizable behind a balding head of light brown hair and thick glasses), Adrien Brody, Robin Penn Wright, Alfre Woodard, Carla Gugino (of SPY KIDS fame), Jon Polito, Katie Holmes, and Jeremy Northam. Despite a spirited, capable performance by Downey (talent intact after his incarceration) in the main role (Dan Dark, as opposed to the Philip Marlowe of the television series), the film simply isn't very successful. I had such high expectations for this one!
So, why does this movie fail? Primarily, two reasons. First, the original series was 450 minutes long, while the movie is only 109. In other words, the series had ample time to introduce the viewer to its strange, nightmarish, surreal world, while the movie, because of time limitations, simply plunges the viewer directly into the heart of things. For anyone who has seen the series, it will seem as if the movie is constantly in a rush, and as if it is always leaving things out. The movie comes across as far less varied and rich.
The other problem is that for the most part the movie lacks the energy and vitality of the series, almost as if there is less of a sense of what it is that they are trying to achieve. One watching the series will recognize that without the deft touch exerted by Potter on the script, the show could easily degenerate into something odd and unpleasant. This is precisely what happens in the movie.
One would imagine that with an all-star cast and a larger budget, the movie would at least be a far more attractive and visually compelling affair. I actually prefered the hospital wards of the series. The cast should have been an improvement, but I found nearly all the performers apart from Downey to be wasted in their roles. About the only thing that I found better in the film was Downey's makeup. The main character is suffering from an especially nasty case of psoriatic arthritis, and Downey does indeed look quite afflicted. However, psoriatic arthritis is far more treatable today than it was during the time when the television series was set (one of my best friends suffers from it, and tells me about the medications that she uses in fighting the condition), so it didn't make as much medical sense now as it did almost twenty years ago.
My greatest fear about this film is that it will skew people's assumptions about the original series. It is truly an unworthy successor, and I would urge everyone to see the original series, which is available on DVD. Those who like the movie will love the original even more, and even those who hate the movie will love it.
Movie Review: A big disappointment
Summary: 1 Stars
In the world of writer Dennis Potter (PENNIES FROM HEAVEN, LIPSTICK ON YOUR COLLAR), upbeat songs are used to contrast the gloomy lives of Potter's downbeat characters. Keith Gordon's adaptation of Potter's THE SINGING DETECTIVE stands in the mighty shadow of the acclaimed 6-hour BBC television production (1986). I suppose Gordon's effort should be judged on its own merits, but since I saw the BBC miniseries first, it's impossible for me not to draw comparisons.
Robert Downey Jr. plays a writer hospitalized for an extreme case of eczema, a skin disease that results in inflammation and scaliness (in real life, Potter suffered from the same disorder). During his stay, Downey, a miserable misogynist, frequently escapes into the fictional life of his alter ego, a singing detective. In these fantasies, he finds himself confronting many long-suppressed emotional issues.
The BBC version had the luxury of exploring its protagonist over a six-hour duration, allowing lead actor Michael Gambon to infuse his character with the sort of subtle shadings that are nowhere to be found in this remake. With only 108 minutes to cover the same ground, Robert Downey Jr. turns in rushed, one-note performance, though probably not through any fault of his own. But he's still one cranky jerk and after a while, even the most indulgent viewer will lose interest in him, and begin wondering why they should care about any of his whining. Without the key ingredient of audience sympathy, Gordon's film implodes.
In Gordon's defense, Dennis Potter's work is notoriously tricky to adapt; Potter's writings are populated by unappealing souls and his technique of allowing songs to convey a character's suppressed emotions is a conceptual conceit that can--and often does--grow tiresome. When it's done correctly, however, it makes for compelling, disturbing entertainment. For that reason, I advise you to skip this film, and check out the BBC version of THE SINGING DETECTIVE and the underrated Steve Martin film PENNIES FROM HEAVEN.
Movie Review: Went straight in the trash, deserves no stars
Summary: 1 Stars
I picked this turkey up in the frozen food aisle of my local supermarket for a few bucks, though I would have been a better shopper buying a frozen pizza & bean burrito instead. The DVD gave me more indigestion. From the cover, I thought it might be a low-rent L.A. Confidential, being set in the 1950s with very pulpish cover art. I love noirs set in Los Angeles, but this is certainly no Double Indemnity. They must have blown the budget on Downey's skin disease, because you really have to see it. Hey director, ever hear of "establishing shot?" Made me wish for my old low-def analog 19" TV. It really does stink like a student film from a really troubled student. A real howler is the hospital operating staff from '50s L.A. supposedly. They look like a "diversity is our strength" poster from a community college. The black woman has a '80s style hairdo, though it doesn't really matter. Hollywood can't make a decent movie, but you certainly know who's voting for Obama in 2012. Yiiihaaaa! It's on its way to the landfill.Movie Review: Sexist, predictable, profane, boring - I could not watch it.
Summary: 1 Stars
I thought this might be a fun movie - a cross between the detective genre & a musical, Robert Downey - but was very soon offended by the portrayals of women (all 1-dimensional sex objects stripping in cabarets, boring...), the egregious constant sexual references - for God's sake, don't watch this with children! - and the predictability of the characters. Some boring old-fashioned sexist male idiot's fantasies, I could not watch more than 10 minutes. Too bad Robert Downey allowed himself to be talked into this one. The Singing Detective
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