The Singing Detective Review

"THE SINGING DETECTIVE" reviews

Movie

THE SINGING DETECTIVE

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2005-10-25 19:12:18

Provider

Review

Can it really be that Hollywood execs have truly run out of ideas? Back in 1986, Dennis Potter's brilliant screenplay was bought to life so memorably by the BBC, to the point that Michael Gambon will be forever linked with the role of Philip E. Marlow in most people's minds. Directed by Jon Amiel (who would go on to make Sommersby, Copycat and Entrapment), the mini-series was a popular and critical success but now those Tinseltown folks have come calling and decided to try and improve on virtual perfection. Can they pull off the impossible?

This remake finds reformed badboy Robert Downey Jr. in the lead as Dan Dark, a pulp fiction author who is back in a hospital, suffering from a debilitating skin condition. With little else to do Dan's mind wanders back to his first novel, The Singing Detective, and soon he's running through the adventure with him in the lead. Meanwhile visitors at his bedside, including his ex-wife (Robin Wright Penn), are incorporated into his fantasies, as are childhood memories and insecurities and it's up to Dr. Gibbon (Mel Gibson) to try and heal Dark's mental state.

It's probably important to understand that a few changes have been made to Potter's script - gone is post WW2 London and in comes 1950s LA, the songs featured in the original series have been replaced by classic rock 'n' roll tunes and a happier ending has been tacked on - and while most people won't have a problem with that, Potter fans or admirers of the 1986 series may find it rather hard to swallow.

There's no doubt that director Keith Gordon has put together a good looking and competent film - he handles the 'dream' sequences with style and the viewers attention never wanes - but the big question is why did anyone need to try and remake this in the first place. We've been subjected to so many remakes (or re-imaginings) in recent years that maybe we've just got used to it - well maybe it's time those Hollywood hotshots start coming up with some original ideas and stop tampering.