SEE HOW THEY RUN (2022)

SEE HOW THEY RUN (2022)

Tagline: The greatest murder ever staged.

(Comedy, Mystery, London In The 1950s) [PG-13]

Inspector Stoppard - So what did he do that made you suspicious?
Dennis Corrigan - It wasn't so much what he did. It was more the way that he did it.
Inspector Stoppard - How'd did he do it?
Dennis Corrigan -Sort of... suspiciously.

In this one, we are taken back to the 1950s when plans for a movie version of a mystery are halted after one of the crew members is murdered. Inspector Stoppard takes on the case to find out who did it when he is unexpectedly joined by the upstart Constable Stalker who is eager to pin the murder on pretty much everyone they run into. Can they find the murderer and keep the movie’s chances alive amid the dangers of the glamourous theater underground? 

First off, this is another film that shows you just how crazy diverse Sam Rockwell is as an actor. He plays Inspector Stoppard in this and quite honestly, I had no idea until I read the credits. If you are not a fan of heavy English accents this might not be the movie for you. However, if you are, the wit behind every scene is palpable and the humor is spectacularly welcome in this setting. This kind of reminds me of CLUE only less chaotic and with English accents instead of American accents. 

Acting wise we get a pretty solid cast here with Adrien Brody taking on the role of Leo Kopernick who serves to drive the plot forward but also narrates part of the movie. Brody is a great actor with a diverse portfolio, but sadly is probably remembered more for a certain creepy role, more than he’d like to be? Saoirse Ronan plays Constable Stalker and is very good as well. I have not seen her in a lot of movies, but the one that stands out the most at a glance is THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL. We also get Ruth Wilson who was one of my favorite actresses for a while till she started taking on roles in stuff I couldn’t stand like the TV “The Affair” and the Godophobic “His Dark Materials”. She doesn’t get a ton of lines in this but does well enough. Finally, of the most notable cast I haven’t mentioned, we get David Oyelowo (CHAOS WALKING) as Mervyn Cocker-Norris. He is also in only a few scenes but does a commendable job here. 

This movie ties in very closely with Agatha Christie’s work and they even mention “The Mousetrap” which is a real murder mystery play by Agatha Christie that premiered in October of 1952. It still runs to this day and is the longest-running play in the world. Apparently, this movie was held up in development for years due to Disney buying 20TH CENTURY FOX. 

What works in this movie the most is the subtle humor but you are going to have to focus on the dialog because it’s not slapstick stuff. This is a well –crafted finely tuned machine of a film with an ending I personally didn’t see coming. This one did not crack my TOP 10 for 2022 nor is it better than DEATH ON THE NILE, but it is really well done and it is a total blast. The score is clever and the cinematography is top-notch. 

Like DEATH ON THE NILE, this one also gets a solid 6 out of 7. I liked the previews but did not expect to like this film as much as I did. 

GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY. 

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