See How They Run

Some movies just give off a sense of fun.  You can tell that the cast had a great time making it, and it carries through to the audience.  See How They Run is a murder mystery comedy that gets a lot of joy out of playing with the cliches of the genre, some fourth-wall breaking, and an overall sense that everyone involved was having the time of their lives.  No, it's not as memorable of a mystery as Knives Out, but so what?  This movie is simply joyful.

The fun begins early on when the film's narrator openly dissects a lot of the cliches in the murder mystery format.  Not long after that, we learn that the person telling us this information is the initial victim of this film's killer.  That would be Hollywood filmmaker Leo Kopernick (Adrien Brody).  Naturally, there's many who wanted him dead.  He was in London in order to discuss making a film out of Agatha Christie's murder play, The Mousetrap.  The movie is set in 1953, when the play has just had its 100th performance, and Christie has a clause in her contract that no film can be made until the show has been closed for at least six months.  For those who don't know, The Mousetrap is the longest running play in history, and is still playing in London's West End theater district to this day.  Something that nobody, not even the playwright, expected.

Apparently Leo angered a lot of people, including hired screenwriter Mervyn Cocker-Norris (David Oyelowo), who was offended with Kopernick's desire to add more action to the play and change the ending, and even one of the play's original stars, the legendary Richard Attenborough (played here by Harris Dickinson).  With seemingly everyone involved with the play (and in Hollywood for that matter) having a motive to kill him, veteran Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and the ever-eager Constable Stalker (a scene-stealing Saoirse Ronan) are called in to solve the mystery, and unmask the identity of the killer.  And while the mystery is not exactly as riveting as one might hope, the film gets a lot of mileage out of the performances of Rockwell and Ronan who have wonderful chemistry.  His laid back and somewhat sloppy atmosphere is counterbalanced by her almost puppy-like eagerness and starstruck nature, as she can't help but let her fondness for Hollywood and celebrities show once in a while.

See How They Run is not the most airtight of mysteries, but I don't think that's what the filmmakers were going for.  The emphasis here is clearly on the humor from these oddball characters, which range from broad slapstick, fourth-wall breaking, to verbal puns. (When Stalker is describing that the victim was initially attacked by being struck with a pair of skis, she can't help but say, "It all went downhill from there".) This is a movie that has been written for fans of the genre, as there are a lot of knowing nods that reference elements of the genre, and more than a few references to the famous play that drives the film's plot.  Even if you're not familiar, you can still enjoy this, because of the film's overall joyful spirit. 

This is ultimately a very silly movie, but one that knows how to ground itself.  There aren't any big laughs here, but you're constantly smiling, and enjoying the non-stop energy of the cast and the movie itself.  Sometimes a film's energy is enough to carry it, and that is definitely the case here.  You have a large cast of talented actors who are clearly having fun with the material, and it's very easy to get involved.  Even if the final reveal behind the mystery is not as strong as I would wish, I still had fun getting there.  It's a movie that's obviously been made with very good spirits, and is a fun little film to sit through before the bigger Award hopefuls start rolling out over the coming months.

I can definitely picture this movie finding an appreciative audience long after its theatrical run, and will probably do great at home.  See How They Run will never be mistaken for a great movie, but it is a tremendously joyful one, and that is never something to ignore. 

0 comments