The Watcher (2000)

How sad is this?

Good movie but grossly overrated

Fantastic!

The acting in this movie is really good.

(Originally reviewed: The fatal flaw with Joe Charbanic's The Watcher is the miscasting of Keanu Reeves as the killer. Considering the word of mouth, I was expecting a dreadful slasher films, what I got instead was a poor, laughable film. James Spader plays the lead character, it takes a while for the story to tell us he's a detective and why he's taking all these medications but it does eventually get to it. Reeves is the psychopathic killer and an ineffective one at that, his prancing around, unthreatening expressions and constantly wanting to dance like a fairy make him one of the most laughable serial killer's I've ever seen, though not entirely Reeves fault, simply miscasting by the director. The adorable Marisa Tomei also stars as a psychiatrist and turns in a good performance as usual. Though the plot falters a lot, and is overall poor, I have seen a lot worse films like this and a lot better.On to some things that bothered me such as the female characters mostly being void of common sense, for example why would a woman at work think it's not unusual for some guy to randomly start photographing her in an environment that just so happens to be mostly empty. Insensitive dialogue also follows later on with "apparently she has a cat named frank who doesn't watch the news" after the second victim is killed, that line is said by Spader's character and it's not funny, and said in bad taste. Another lame piece of dialogue appears later on where Reeve's says "were Yin and Yang" to spader which is fairly funny (Unintentionally) but only further diminishes the picture on being taken seriously. The biggest surprise comes towards the end, when Reeves is about to strangle his last victim, only for Spader who's being held at gunpoint to randomly say Thank you for no reason and Reeves stops strangling her and puts his head near Spader who stabs him somewhere in the arm, (unclear directing) and the building then ends up on fire, and so on, you can probably guess what happens next. I almost forgot to mention the messy opening credit's which were all over the place. Overall though, this picture is badly directed, laughable at times and suffers fatally from Keanu Reeves's unmenacing, dancing ballerina portrayal of a serial killer.

This dreadful film is one of the best examples available of Hollywood crap! In place of an intriguing plot, there is gee-whiz camera work. Instead of crisp dialogue, there are pointless shifts from positive images to negative colour. Instead of catchy drama, there is mindless and sensational violence and a head thumping soundtrack. Technically, it is well done. But then impressive high technology is not unique to movies. It's also used effectively in the processing of garbage, where this DVD most certainly will find its deserved fate. I bought the DVD at a garage sale. Better had I spent my one (Canadian) dollar on the leaky ballpoint pen or the scratched up Mitch Miller LP.

BRIEF BLU-RAY REVIEW: This Blu-ray is SHARP! Yes, they likely did some DNR (digital noise reduction) since this is one of the earlier Blu-rays, but not detrimentally so. The picture is sharp, clean and very nice looking. For a 2000 film it looks awesome, and the sound is very good too.Now, to the film...I sure don't understand some of these very nasty and negative reviews. This was quite simply a riveting, well made, well acted Crime Thriller. I honestly don't know what more you could want or ask for in a film of this type. One person here said something about MTV and 'Frenetic Editing'...??? WHAT...?! It was exactly the opposite. YES, the film and visual techniques are indeed stylized, but there is absolutely NOTHING 'Frenetic' about it. Watch the 2nd and 3rd 'Bourne' films if you want to see what frenetic editing looks like. There is a total absence of palsy-induced, shaky camera work. The shots are classically structured and edited. The style comes in with some nice colouring effects thrown in HERE AND THERE and I personally REALLY loved the soundtrack. Yes, it is from it's time, but the songs are very effective and there is a nice blend of original scoring too that fits the film quite nicely. Technically, to me anyway, the film is flawless and looked and sounded great (especially on Blu-ray :)Whether you like Keanu or not might have a bearing as to how much you like the film. I felt that for the part that he played that he pulled it off nicely and his characterization was perfect. I have always really loved James Spader (platonically :) I think he is the living $h!tz of cool. I've just always really dug the understated and low- key, sardonic slant that he gives his characters. All the other supporting actors / actresses did a fine job that also fit in very well with the tone and feel of the film.It is a Classic Serial Killer / Police Thriller with great action, excellent pacing, and a nice time-appropriate feel and style. I really liked the director and the way he did the film very much. I was quite surprised to see that he did not go on to make very many more films. For this Genre, I felt that he delivered a very effective movie. It certainly is not just Mindless Action as so many others are. There is a very real soul and believability to the characters and why they do what they do. I think that the mood and overall feel of the film is perfect, with a well suited soundtrack. Oh, without giving anything away, I LOVED the scene at about 37 minutes as the cops gather briefly in the mall to look for the current victim. Truly Classic!I don't know... maybe people are all into the current trend of Dark, moody Noir Thrillers that are coming out now. And, granted, I love those too, I really do. BUT... I guess even though this was made only about 15 years ago, it's look and style might be considered kind of antiquated compared to newer films. That may be true. But, in my lowly and wretched opinion, I feel that that is NO reason to dismiss this highly entertaining and involving Thriller just because it comes from a slightly different era. Some jaded numbnut snobs here glibly state, "Full of '90s clichés" That just simply is not true. There are a TON of very blah, pointless, and NON-entertaining Crime Thrillers out there, believe me. But, THIS is most definitely NOT one of them...FWIW, here is my take on movies in general. And, I PROMISE not to go on and bore you to death... Simply this: No matter WHAT the style, time period, or Genre, a Movie is a Movie. It is either a good movie or a bad movie (or many times something in between) Now, there may be certain TYPES of movies that you just don't like. For example, for me I find no entertainment value in sadistic Torture Porn films. Others may really like them, but I can say that for me personally, categorically I just do not like them. Okay... Some say that the first 'SAW' film was very clever and a new approach to Horror. Fine... I can acknowledge that for that type of film, it is probably one of the best. But, I just don't like those types. So, the same may be true about this film here. Maybe you don't like the more glossy, somewhat stylized Crime Thrillers that were made 15-20 years ago; maybe they just go against your grain and aren't your 'thing'. well, in that case I would say then that it is likely that you may not enjoy this one, unless you really happen to like either or both Keanu Reeves and James Spader.Bottom line... If you happen to like the style of Crime Thrillers made around the this time, it is one of the more entertaining and well made ones. I personally found it quite gripping and it really drew me right into the story. So, if this is your kind of movie, I really don't see how you can miss... It is not especially 'Weighty' or profound, but then neither is it mindless. To me, it sits solidly in the middle where probably the broadest entertainment value is for most people.So... if you are looking for a good, entertaining, well acted and well directed Crime Thriller and you are not just exclusively interested in the newer Darker, moodier Noirish style that kind of predominates Crime Films at the moment, and you can just sit back and enjoy a good Cop / Serial Killer story, then you probably will have a LOT of fun watching this one as I did.

***SPOILERS*** Mix-up serial killer flick involving retired, at age 30, on a disability pension FBI Agent Campbell who gets back to work in trying to find this serial killer Griffin who seems to have gotten or developed a strong emotional connection or tie towards him. It's almost as if the two, Campbell & Griffin, were soul mates or Siamese twins without being psychically connected to each other.Campbell has moved to Chicago from his hometown in L.A to get his mixed-up and confused head back together which has Griffin travel there as well in order to keep up his relationship with him. This all stemmed from a murder that Griffin committed back in L.A, that we see in a number of flash-backs, involving Campbell's girlfriend Lisa Alton whom he was having an illicit, she was married and he wasn't, affair with. Now back in business killing young women Griffin gets Campbell involved in his new string of murders by sending him Fed-X envelopes with photos of his intended victims who's murders Campbell as well as the Chicago Police FBI and local SWAT team are to try to prevent.The movie really goes nowhere with Grffin doing his thing, murdering young women, and being totally immune from capture. Even a number of his on screen victims, Ellie & Jessica, don't as much as even get a hint that their being targeted by Griffin! Even though their photos, those that Griffin sent Campbell, are splashed all over the TV and newspapers as well as police posters. Don't they ever turn on the TV news or read the newspapers? what's even more fascinating is that no one on the street or knows the two, Ellie & Jessica, don't at all recognize them either as Griffin's intended victims. That despite all the publicity they've gotten by the news media to find out who they are and save their lives! ***SPOILERS*** It seems that Campbell's psychiatrist the pretty Dr. Polly Bellman really got under Griffin's skin in him getting jealous of Polly and suspecting that his soul-mate FBI Agent Campbell was having a romantic relationship with her. This has Griffin drop his guard and leave himself open to getting caught by kidnapping Polly and then, by invitation only, having Campbell come to his rat and roach infested hideout, a deserted warehouse on the Chicago South Side, so he can watch helplessly as Griffin sets her on fire and burns her to death! Just like he did to his previous girlfriend the late Lisa Alton back in L.A!Explosive ending with Griffin getting the worst of it when the whole warehouse where he's holding Polly hostage blows up with him becoming a human torch in the process. Campbell-who together with Polly-escaped the carnage but he, after ending up drenched and almost drowned in the chilly waters Lake Michigan, ends up looking as dry as a camel's bone in the Sahara Desert!