Sombras del pasado

Greetings again from the darkness. It's easy to forget that Russell Crowe was once Oscar nominated three years in a row, winning Best Actor for Ridley Scott's epic, GLADIATOR (2000), and has probably deserved two or three additional nominations. His reputation has not won him many industry friends over the years, but to his credit, he keeps plugging away - some minor roles in big films, and some lead roles in smaller films. Crowe can still command the screen with his presence, even when the material is slight (see THE POPE'S EXORCIST, 2023).

This project from writer-director Adam Cooper (writer, EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS, 2014) and his frequent writing partner Bill Collage has been adapted from Eugen O. Chirovici's 2017 novel, "The Book of Mirrors". It's Cooper's directorial debut, and it's entertaining enough, especially if one can avoid comparisons to other similar crime drama films, especially the classic MEMENTO (2000). In this one, Crowe stars as Roy Freeman, a former homicide detective who lost his badge after a drunk driving accident. He has recently undergone an experimental brain procedure designed to help him regain some of the memories Alzheimer's has robbed him of. Roy's apartment has notes posted everywhere. These notes remind him of his name, remind him of his shoe size, and remind him that his Hungry Man dinners are hot when they come out of the microwave. Turns out, it's too late for a note to remind him not to put the TV remote in that same mircrowave.

A ten year old case he worked is brought up by a group looking to prevent an innocent man from being executed. Roy has no memory of the case, so he re-visits the files and tracks down his old partner, Jimmy Remis (played by Tommy Flanagan, in a reunion of GLADIATOR actors). What follows is a sufficiently intricate web of characters to keep us interested and guessing. The murder victim was Professor Wieder (Marton Csokas), and the usual suspects include his PTSD-suffering handyman Wayne Devereaux (Thomas M Wright), Wieder's research assistant and lover Laura Baines (Karen Gillan, Nebula in the Marvel Universe), Laura's other lover Richard Finn (Harry Greenwood) who is writing a book on the murder, and a couple other characters tossed in to knock Roy and us off track.

Flanagan and Csokas are two of my favorite character actors - both always bring something interesting to their roles, and here it's Gillan's Laura that seems to offer the most intrigue - changing names, locales, and personalities, all while publishing a book on a theory of how 'bad' memories can be replaced with good ones, or erased altogether (think of another classic film, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, 2004). Roy's flashbacks are handled by quick spurts of moments that he struggles to assemble, which allows us to struggle right alongside him. Roy's plight leaves us with the thought that it's possible to find yourself, and not like what you see. Memory is obviously crucial to the story, and for a second-level crime thriller, there is enough here to keep us going until the conclusion.

In theaters beginning March 22, 2024.

Well, what can I say? This film is a captivating ride from beginning to end. With a solid directorial debut, it skillfully incorporates elements reminiscent of classics like Murder by Numbers and Oldboy. Throughout the narrative, I found myself fully engrossed, a rare feat that kept me glued to the screen without the usual urge for a smoke break. While it draws inspiration from various films, its unique blend creates an intriguing and immersive experience. For aficionados of crime thrillers and murder mysteries, this film is definitely worth adding to your watchlist.

If you're a film junkie like myself then you'll appreciate the time and effort that Adam Cooper and everyone else put in to make this happen.

I enjoyed it. Not my place to say where it could have been improved. It is what it is.

Thank you.

One sentence summary: To keep his mind active following an experimental medical treatment for Alzheimer's, a retired detective decides to revisit an old closed case.

While I would stop short of calling Sleeping Dogs a good movie, there is plenty to like about this Russell Crowe-led independent mystery. It unashamedly draws inspiration from films like Memento (2000) and, more recently, Memory (2022), but Crowe's performance is what gives this movie its own spark. The supporting cast provided him with little help, though, as he was noticeably a league above his co-stars. Inconsistent pacing also hurt the film at times, hampering the momentum that the twisty, occasionally convoluted story seeks to build. Luckily, the movie concludes with a bang, delivering a gut-punch ending that is equally satisfying and devastating.

A title like 'Sleeping Dogs' should already tell you it's not going to be a high-octane thriller and some of the complaints about the slow-burn pace of this film may have missed the point regarding its very solid tonal consistency. It's an 'old' film by design. This is reflected in the casting, the murder/whodunnit trope, the 'mystery' incidental music and the dated style of storytelling with the reveal at the end. There's nothing wrong with any of the performances, particularly Russell Crowe's portrayal of a man who knows he's past his peak and harbouring concerns about the reliability of his memory. Tommy Flanagan also manages fine in a larger role but I couldn't decide if Karen Gillan was intentionally overdoing it or just did a spectacular job of playing a control freak nutcase. Sleeping Dogs may not appeal to everyone but if you're over 50 (and no longer a gladiator) you'll likely find it relatable.

Many of the facets of this story could have been transplanted to the film noir period of the mid-20th century, and bar the occasional reference to technology (which could have otherwise been replaced for something of those times), this movie could have been set then (LA Confidential, anyone?). But it's not, its setting is contemporary. But I couldn't help but think that I would have liked to have seen this movie, and this cast, in a 1940s film noir. A glam Gillan would have been particularly good!

A drunken ex-cop, with memory loss due to alzheimer's, has had an experimental procedure that may help his condition. He gets approached about an old case he worked on, but cannot recall, and where the convicted man is near to his execution date.

Hiding his condition, out of a mixture of pride and knowing that he would not be seen as competent by those asking for his help, he meets the advocate and then the death row inmate, and believes the convicted man's claims of innocence in the murder he was jailed for.

Despite his condition, the ex-cop decides that the case is worth looking at again. No doubt he also thought that the mental exercise might do him some good - as would doing something useful be to his sense of pride (I state for anyone who can't see this premise as plausible).

As the ex-cop looks into the matter, he not only starts to see other possible suspects to the crime, but starts to regain his own memories, as his experimental medical procedure starts to work.

Large elements of the story are shown in flashback, from the point of view of a manuscript, written by one of the characters involved, as well as shorter flashbacks as the ex-cop gradually recalls his own past. Again, this is reminiscent of film noir, where a character may explain what happened and the movie shows it.

Russell Crowe is convincing as the drunken ex-cop with a shredded memory that is starting to come back to him. Tommy Flanagan is solid in support as his old-partner (he needs more character roles so we can see him more often) and Karen Gillan can now add 'femme fatale' to her acting resume.

This movie is better than most people seem to be saying. It's well told, the central cast are all solid and the story should keep you interested until the end.

It is however an end that not everyone may care for and has a penultimate confrontation scene that I found too contrived.

It's not the most engrossing film and is another one of those thrillers that is more cerebral than it is fast moving, but has interesting characters and an interesting enough plot to reach the end.

If you're hoping for a Russell Crowe action flick, you'll probably be disappointed. This isn't as good as "The Next Three Days", for example, but it's good enough to get Crowe and two of Scotland's best acting talents together on screen.

If you don't like film noir, or are expecting a fast-paced thriller, you may not like this.

Summary: Not bad, not brilliant either. Worth a watch (with the above provisos).