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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
COMICAL CHARACTER STUDY WRAPPED IN A SUSPENSE THRILLER.., October 4, 2003
This review is from: The January Man (DVD)
This movie is not a typical "mystery thriller," at least not in the usual sense of the genre. The characters unravel intriguingly but very fluidly, and it is easy to relate to almost all of them (I bet we can all think of parallels in our own lives.) Theme-wise it is ostensibly presented as a suspense movie where an ex-cop (Kevin Kline) is re-instated into a homicide detective role to solve a brutal murder spree by a NY psychopath. There is an interesting subplot of unrequited romance between Kline's character and his brother's (who is commissioner of police) wife. Kline's artist friend, his new girl friend (the Mayor's daughter), and in fact the Mayor himself -- are all amusing characters. But Kline is clearly the pivot of the movie, he turned what many might consider a very below standard screenplay and turned it into a very keepable film. The cinematography is neat, the dialog entertainingly scattershot and the movie flows with a very good pace. Most people who revile this under-rated but actually very watchable movie do so because it doesn't fit any Hollywoodesqe molds. It is not a suspense movie alone (clearly, to me, it didn't make any overt attempts to be) -- it is also a very adult and somewhat intellectual but credible study of multiple intertwined characters. The ending surprised me a bit, but I don't think it was chinsy or overdone. It was probably supposed to try and imitate real life and I'd say it did so. And with that kind of a price tag, this is definitely a steal. Recommended!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
How come this didn't work better?, August 28, 2003
I ordered this, because I don't remember seeing it in Finland and because of the great actors. I mean: Kevin Kline, Harvey Keitel AND Alan Rickman! What more could a grown woman want? The movie uses clichés with a twist: a heroic but difficult cop (Kline) who has been unjustly sacked and is now a fireman, but - being a genius in his work - gets called back to solve mysterious killings. Of course, the police department is against the idea. But there is no choice and he starts to work in his own terms, for instance bringing along an assistant, a moody artist (Rickman in a part where he speaks very little, which is always a shame). Brother (Keitel) isn't too thrilled either, because they still love the same woman (Sarandon). Mayor's daughter (Mastrantonio) gets sucked in, because her friend is murdered. The movie has all the elements of comedy, humour, suspense and good actors and actresses - and still it misses something. Kline is fine as always and even in this small part Rickman makes an impression and it's hard to point out any flaws - but still it doesn't work as well as it could have. Anyway, the movie is entertaining, not bad at all. Harmless fun with a couple of original jokes. Kline's cooking is very odd and Rickman's use of models even more personal.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
underrated and underappreciated, April 1, 2003
This review is from: The January Man (DVD)
This movie got savaged (and continues to be) when it first came out. I think that with all the talent involved, people were expecting something a lot more... mainstream. This is one of those oddball detective/crime thrillers a la The Long Goodbye or Trixie that just doesn't fit in anywhere. It blends genres together and this bugged a lot of people who just wanted a by-the-numbers story. Everyone in the cast is fantastic but the real standout, for me, is Alan Rickman cast totally against type as the slightly effeminate artiste (and computer genius), Ed. Rickman gets most of the best lines and steals every scene he's in. He and Kline play well off each other and it's a shame this film tanked because I'd have loved to see more adventures with these two. The DVD is a real disappointment. No extras. Nothing! Just dumped unceremoniously on DVD. Oh well. At least it's letterboxed!
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