The Singing Detective

Rating:
Summary: Robert Downey Jr., is The Singing Detective
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: A delightful film noir, detective story, musical, comedy,
Review: I have been following this film since prior to the shooting of the film. I am a faithful Downey fan and when I heard he would have the leading role in the movie version of Dennis Potter's mini-series I rented the mini-series to become familiar with the story.
It was a difficult story to follow and not too well received when it first was shown. It later became highly acclaimed. Ten years later, Dennis Potter wrote a film script, shortened it to a little under 2 hours (from the 6+ hours of the mini-series) and changed the venue from England to the United States, actually the Chicago area; the time period from the 40's to the 50's. The tone of the story line changed somewhat also as basically it is actually about Dennis Potter.....and in his final years, he bacame less cynical and less angry than the original Phillip Marlow (Potter)...he mellowed somewhat. Consequently, the film has a different feel as was Potter's intent. The script was not changed; only the location was changed to Los Angeles.

Robert Downey Jr. was brilliant....changing pace so smoothly from the psoriasis-ridden, hallucinating Dan Dark to the Private Detective who lip-syncs to the songs of the original artists of the 50's. It is a complicated story line, not a senseless blockbuster type with little substance, not meant for the non-thinking viewer. It was cast so well, Mel Gibson is fantastic as the psychiatrist, Dr Gibbon, Robyn Wright Penn, Carla Gugino and Katie Holmes were perfect in their roles. Katie Holmes part was small but with a huge impact...and she did it so well, as did the rest of the cast.

Keith Gordon's directing was masterful, the timing with the musical numbers, the settings going from brilliant, stark white in the hospital, to dark streets and interiors with bright red accents....fast paced humor.
The closing scenes were perfect, then a rare treat.....Mr Downey singing "In My Dreams", a 50's song written by Gene Vincent, during the closing credits. He has a wonderful voice...we need to hear more of him singing.

I have to give The Singing Detective 5 stars.....it was wonderful. I have seen it 3 times, the second time in Chicago along with the Carrier Achievement Award presentation to Robert Downey Jr. prior to the screening. That was a thrill!! I will see it again Fri. Nov. 7.

Anyone trying to compare this with the orginal mini-series will miss the whole point of the story....Potter did not intend it to be a condensed version, rather a new aspect of the story. Also, an interesting fact....after seeing Downey in "Chaplin", Potter said he felt Downey would be the one to portray the character of Dan Dark.

Rating:
Summary: Worth the drive
Review: I just got back from seeing The Singing Detective. I had to drive 152 miles to see it in a tiny little theater in Nevada City, California. I have to admit that I am very much a Robert Downey Jr. fan so I was highly motivated. I was captivated with the story. I was prepared for it to jump from reality to fantasy so everything seemed to fall into place. The acting was great ; the cinematography , superb. I just wish this film had a wider release. It was well worth the drive!

Rating:
Summary: Classic Robert Downey Jr.
Review: I think your appreciation of this movie may rise or fall depending on how endearing you find Downey's schtick, and whether you can abide musicals. I adore him, even dressed as a human pizza, and love musicals. I also adore Mel Gibson, who throws off his glamour to play a Downey's quirky shrink. The supporting cast is very excellently filled out with great actors, and we get to see almost all of them break into song! Yes, including Mel. The lipsyncing is not good, but I think that must be intentional, and managed to look past it.
So - Downey plays a dual role as a disfigured and helpless novelist and the hero of his novel, the titular singing detective. He doesn't sing while detecting, he does both mostly separately. We flash in and out of Downey's reality in a hospital and his hallucinations or his mental reliving of his novel, and occasional flashbacks to his youth. The detective stuff is great hard-boiled, sometimes well-worn, but often funny material. The humor is often wordy - puns and irony - and you want to catch every line. The closest comparison I can think of is Garrison Keillor's Guy Noir, kind of spoofy but respectful of the noir detective. It's a pity, but Downey's dialog is sometimes a bit unclear. There's also humor of absurdity - the songs, the hallucinations, the juxtapositions between worlds.
And there's stuff that's not so funny: sex, violence, and sexual violence. Your kids should not be watching this!

Rating:
Summary: Profoundly Disappointing...
Review: I was all set to really enjoy this movie after watching the mini-series of the same name for the 2nd time (a rare thing for me). I thought the original was one of the finest works ever to grace the (...)tube. However, the movie was a real disappointment.

I knew going in that the story had been changed somewhat to a different time & place with different music. But unfortunately, the differences between this movie and the mini-series were all for the worse.

The story has been changed in some subtle and not-so-subtle ways. One big difference is that the lead character is in a private hospital room, which takes away much of the give-and-take dialog and atmosphere of the original. The original's use of sex scenes, while provocative for the TV, was quite mild compared to the much more flagrant incestuous and Oedipal scenes in the movie. The movie is much more dark and unredeeming in general. Finally, while I like R. Downey, he was a very poor substitute for Michael Gambon in this part. He was really completely unbelievable as a frustrated author - not that a better acting job would have made this a decent movie - I got the sense he was reading his lines off a teleprompter.

The cast in general looked good on paper, but again, they weren't enough to save this stinker.

I don't know exactly why this version was so much worse than the original. Whether the author's rewrite, the shorter format, the director, or Hollywood in general are to blame. But it is hard to imagine anyone liking this version anywhere near as much.

I actually had to stop watching this movie before the end (another rarity) - it was painful. I'm using the time I saved to write this review and try to help others avoid my mistake. What Hollywood did to The Singing Dectective was a crime.

Rating:
Summary: Downey gives the bravura performance of his career!
Review: I'm going to have to admit that I'm a huge fan of the multi-talented, gifted, and beautiful Robert Downey Jr. He is "IT" in my book.

I am also a huge fan of The Singing Detective. I've seen this film five times on the big screen and I'm about to see it several more times on DVD.

It pains me to admit that my husband didn't care for TSD the first time he saw it!
I should say he didn't care for MOST of the movie. He loved the music and he liked the ending, but the drive home from the theatre was a little difficult because he was very grumpy! To break the tension, I decided to turn on the TSD soundtrack since he seemed to love it so much!
Then I decided that it was time for him to get a little background on the film.

I thought I had already "prepared" him for it, but obviously I hadn't prepared him enough!! I talked to him about it - a lot. He listened. I explained a little bit about the medicine, Dark's hallucinations, the psoriasis, the detective book, the tremendous guilt Dark felt about his "betrayal" of his mother etc. I noticed he was becoming a little more receptive to chatting about this very compelling story.

A few days later, he started singing "Three Steps to Heaven" with a big smile on his face and told me that he "just can't seem to get that song" out of his head. He asked me if he could borrow the soundtrack to put in his car while he ran some errands. I told him he couldn't - I love it too much - but I let him take my car so he could listen to "Three Steps to Heaven" and the whole soundtrack again and again and again.

When he came back from running his errands, I said to him, "It sounds like you might be changing your mind about this movie."

He said with a big smile on his face, "How can you get the guy with the psoriasis out of your mind?"

That was his word-for-word reply!
He was starting to "get" it! He was starting to "get" Downey!
Join the club!!!

We talked about it a lot more and he became very interested in the discussion!
Then he went off on another errand and listened to his precious soundtrack some more!
When he came home, he said, "OK, I'm READY to see this movie now!"
We saw it together a second time! He loved it so much we went back a third time.
He's now a huge fan of the movie and of Robert Downey Jr!

The only way to FULLY appreciate this movie is to do a little homework on Potter. The audience has to be an "informed" audience. In the book Potter on Potter, Dennis Potter says, "First of all, it's not in any sense a précis of the original series, and secondly, it is totally rethought." Keith Gordon has said many, many times that Potter wouldn't have been interested in a "re-make". He was very happy with the British series exactly as it was. Gordon said, "By changing the whole format, he was, I think, trying to take his basic idea and style, and create something new. Sort of the way a composer might take a piano piece they've written and turn that into a symphony, using the same basic melody and structure."

I'm so incredibly impressed with Potter's new The Singing Detective "symphony"!
It was masterfully conducted by Keith Gordon.
Robert Downey Jr. gave the bravura performance of his career!

Rating:
Summary: Should have been so much better...What were they thinking
Review: I've never been much of a Robert Downey Jr. fan. All I heard was praises for him in this film, and I must say I was disappointed when this movie never came to theater when I first heard about it over a year ago. You would have thought with a movie with this kind of cast including Downey, Mel Gibson, Katie Holmes Wright Penn, and Adrien Brody would have made this movie shine. It's anything but that.

Dan Darko(Downey) is an author. He's in a hospital for some kind of skin condition that they never explain how he got. He is stuck in the hospital and he hates every minute of it. He starts to hullicinate and live out the novels that he's written. He's not sure what is fake and whats not except for the visits from the few people he sees.

Dr.Gibbons(Gibson) is the closest thing that Darko has to a friend. He really does want to help him out, and the two really do play some interesting mind games out with each other. Gibbons is trying to help him overcome his illusions and get himself back into the real world.

The real world isn't what Darko likes. His nagging ex-wife(Wright Penn) is hanging around with ulterior motives. He does however enjoy his daily rubs with skin cream from Nurse Mills(Holmes).

However it's up to Darko to overcome his problems. He's living out painful memories from his life and he must make the descion to solve the problems and get back to reality or stay in the dream world he hates.

The worst part of this movie is the organization of it. It's really messy at times. You don't know what is going on and the jump to reality and fantasy is non stop. It's to much of an effort to try to keep up with it. It's not thats it to complicated but it's boring and stupid.

I enjoyed parts of the script. I loved some of the conversations between Darko and Gibbons. Gibson and Downey are both great in those situations. The rest of the script is a waste.

The acting isn't bad in the movie, but it's nothing to write home about. There is so much wasted talent in this picture. This movie is really a waste in something that could have been so much better. I really only enjoyed one part of the movie and that is the scene and dance sequence with Katie Holmes. The rest of the movie really is crap to me.

You definetly want to rent this one before you buy it. Not even hardcore fans of these actors can enjoy this one.

Rating:
Summary: wasn't quite right
Review: In 1986 I saw The Singing Detective on PBS. It starred Michael Gambon and was simply incredible. It was probably one of the top ten miniseries to ever show up on TV. So, when I heard that Robert Downey Jr. was doing a movie version I was excited.

There's something wrong witht this movie and I can't quite put my finger on what it is.

Robert Downey is a fine actor and does a good job with a tough role as Dan Dark, a writer in the hospital suffering from a combination of arthritis and psoriasis gone beserk. He looks ghastly, feels ghastly and behaves viciously towards the hospital staff who force him to see a psychiatrist played astonishingly by Mel Gibson. Betweeen Mel's acting and makeup you'd never know it was him.

Dan is in such pain that he's hallucinating and when he's not doing that he comforts himself by thinking about his first book, The Singing Detective. It's set in the 50s and all the songs Dan sings come from that era as well. As he get's better and reluctantly works with the doctor Dan is forced to relive the worst thing that ever happened to him.

The movie largely stays faithful to the original material but somehow I didn't feel the same sympathy for Robert Downey's version of the character as I had for Michael Gambon. The father isn't as tragic and the mother didn't have the same impact. Robin Penn playing the ex wife was extremely unattractive. And the ending came just a litte to easy in this version and would tick off anyone who's been seriously ill either physically or mentally.

This version of Singing Detective is like Brahms being played by a music box. It's music but it doesn't compare to Brahms being played by a great musician. Buy the Gambon version instead or just watch this one on TV.

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous! Am I right or am I right?!
Review: Next to "Chaplin", this is Robert Downey, Jr.'s finest performance ever! He shines in this role! I love everything about The Singing Detective!! It has everything: comedy, drama, song and dance numbers. I have seen this film 8 times (four times in the theatre, twice in Chicago where I saw Robert receive a career achievement award from the film festival there) and get something different from it each time. The rest of the cast is brilliant and they all add their own little flair to this clever film. Adrian Brody and Jeremy Northam are particular stand-outs for me. I love to watch Downey's interaction with his hallucinations and co-stars. Too say that this movie is a trip is a compliment. It is A TRIP!!!!! I never once thought "Are we there yet?" and when we were there I didn't want to leave the car. I was like a little kid in a candy store with this film, and there was plenty of candy.

Rating:
Summary: Smart as a bullet and just as dangerous
Review: Okay, forgive the cheesy noir title, but this was an excellent film. This genre-defying film has so much sub text and eye candy and story that I must admit that it did not surprise me that Paramount did not release the film more widely. The average moviegoer just wouldn't be able to wrap their mind around it. Hearing about the film introduced me to the miniseries which I bought and then when the film was finally released, I had to drive from Birmingham to Atlanta to see it and then three months later drove to Montgomery to see it for the second time. I am so excited to see it coming out on DVD. Its only a shame more people haven't even HEARD of this movie. The acting was wonderful, the humor sharp, the detective scenes wonderfully nastalgic, the music grooving, and the story thought provoking. I can't wait to have the chance to see it again and again. And running a third of the length of the original miniseries (and convieniently Americanized), it will prove to be an even more enjoyable viewing experience. Find it, watch it, buy it! Support this film!!!