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Stars: Robert
Downey Jr., Robin Wright Penn, Jeremy Northam, Katie Holmes, Carla Gugino,
Adrien Brody, and Mel Gibson
Writer: Dennis
Potter
Based On The
Television Series By: Dennis Potter
Director: Keith
Gordon
Feature length:
108 minutes
Extras: Feature
Length Audio Commentary With Director Keith Gordon
Languages: English
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Surround Sound
Subtitles: English
Captions and Closed Captions
Packaging: Keep
Case
Chapter Stops: 20
Sound: Dolby
Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Surround Sound
Year of Theatrical
Release: 2003/DVD Release: 2004
Theatrical
Distributor: Paramount Classics
Home Video
Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Reviewer: Mark A.
Rivera
As far as I’m
concerned the words “All Clues. No Solutions” sums up “The Singing
Detective” better than any synopsis ever will. This is one of those movies
that defy any definite genre categorizing. Writer Dennis Potter adapted his
highly praised miniseries into a feature film with acclaimed Director Keith
Gordon at the helm. I have not seen the miniseries so I have no frame of
reference to compare this to. However I found Robert Downey Jr. to be quite
compelling as both Dan Dark, the author suffering from a terrible skin
affliction and consequently has grown both depressed and delusional, and his
alter ego the singing detective. Mel Gibson, who also served as one of the
film’s producers, appears as the psychiatrist who helps guide Dark through the
maze of his own mind as the borders between reality and imagination fade away.
“The Singing
Detective” is interesting and definitely different, but also pretty depressing
at times. I know there are fans of the original miniseries out there based on
what I have read around the Internet, but while I can recognize the film as
being original and respect Keith Gordon’s articulate and screen specific
feature length commentary that he provides for the DVD, “The Singing
Detective” just wasn’t something I personally cared much for. That does not
mean the film is bad in any way. It just wasn’t my taste.
Presented in an
anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) aspect ratio, “The Singing Detective” looks
great and features an enveloping English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack
that helps to bring the musical numbers to life greatly on home video. An
English Dolby Surround Soundtrack and English Captions and Closed Captions for
the hearing impaired are encoded onto the disc as options. There is also a reel
of previews (5:37) for other Paramount Classics titles that include “Northfork,”
“And Now Ladies And Gentleman,” and “Wuthering Heights.”
“The Singing
Detective” is available on DVD-Video now at retailers on and offline from
Paramount Home Entertainment.
© Copyright 2004
By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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