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| The Singing Detective Movie Review |
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In "The Singing Detective", Robert Downey Jr. plays Dan Dark, a crime novelist who suffers from a chronic skin disorder which condemns him to a hospital bed where he is slowly going out of his mind. Going out of his mind because the thin line between his life and the life of his main character are becoming blurred. Watching this movie, even I was going a little out of my mind. Why? Trying to figure this movie out. Even I couldn't tell the difference between fact and fiction half the time - and trust me, I was paying attention. But this is all good - after all, it's a detective story - and the viewer is the detective. But at the same time, the movie is much, much more.
Without giving too much away, Dan Dark is in the hospital. When we are first introduced to his character, it's frightful. At times, it is even difficult. His skin is dried up, and covered with sores. It's disgusting. He weaves in and out of sanity, in and out of his real life and his detective alter ego and in and out of musical numbers featuring the medical staff that is attending to him. He thinks his wife (Robin Wright Penn) is cheating on him and out to get his money. He is convinced (begrudgingly) to visit a psychoanalyst (Mel Gibson) about his insanity. And as he visits the shrink (and re-visits painful childhood memories), he begins to recover his sanity a little bit at a time, and as he recovers his mental health, he also begins to recover his physical health. So maybe the moral of the story is that shrinks really do work!
But like I said, there is so much more to this movie. Most notably, the musical montages. There is a reason he's the "singing" detective after all. The "much more" also includes a number of great performances from everyone involved. I've never been a big fan of Robert Downey Jr. The drugs and scandals just seem to overshadow anything he does. But with this role, he rises above it to show the promise everyone seems to think he has. Robin Wright Penn, as Dark's wife, plays the role of the sympathetic wife (in his reality) and her scheming alter ego (in his delusions) to perfection. Mel Gibson, although
unrecognizable as the psychotherapist, is fantastic. I forgot that he was in this movie altogether until he appeared on screen, and even then, I had to look twice to make sure it really was him. As the doctor, he asks all the right questions and makes all the right moves. Finally, the remaining cast, from Carla Gugino and Adrien Brody to the beautiful, and equally talented Katie Holmes are all perfect in their supporting roles. The scene with Katie Holmes and the cream is particularly hilarious!
On the down note, the movie does seem to go a bit too far sometimes. There are bits of the movie that completely lost me, they were just so far out there. But, with that being said, I'll admit that I don't even know where to begin to dissect this movie. There's just too much going on, and there aren't enough words. It was confusing at times, but entertaining for the most part. It's not for everyone, but if you're into detective movies and character pieces (and even a little into musicals), this movie is for you.
 
- 7/10
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