Incredibly clever and wonderfully entertaining, Tom George’s “See How They Run” proves to be an unexpected delight, a murder mystery wrapped up in a play about a murder mystery contained in a movie about how murder mysteries work. No, it’s not as complex as it sounds. Rather, it’s an invigorating, tantalizing exercise, the enjoyment of which comes from its willingness to challenge the viewer to keep up and rewarding them with one smart turn after another. Like a snake swallowing its own tail, this delightful meta-mystery simultaneously deconstructs the genre while providing an entertaining example of the same.
Like so many drawing room mysteries, “Run” features a large cast of prospective suspects, many of whom have their reasons for having killed the victim in question. That would be boorish American film director Leo Kopernick (Adrien Brody) who’s been brought in to direct the movie version of the Agatha Christie play “The Mouse Trap.” His obnoxious behavior and radical notions about changing the play have alienated nearly everyone involved in the production.
The screenwriter working on the adaptation, Mervyn Cocker-Norris (David Oyelowo) is livid over the filmmaker’s lack of respect for his work, while lead actor Richard Attenborough (Harris Dickinson) has taken great offense over the director’s flirtation with his wife Sheila Sim (Pearl Chanda). Meanwhile, Kaepernick has also given the producer of the film adaptation, John Woolf (Reece Shearsmith), reason to hate him, having caught him in a compromising position with his secretary, while theater owner Petula Spencer (Ruth Wilson) has her own reasons for taking radical steps to prevent the movie version of the play from being made.
And who’s on the case? Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell), a haunted police officer with a troubled past draws the short straw where this one is concerned and he’s been partnered with Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan), an overeager cop, anxious to impress, though she has to learn not to jump to conclusions. One of the smartest and most rewarding things about the film is Mark Chappell’s screenplay which takes the time to fully flesh out this duo, as well as the veteran duo’s performances.
There is far more than meets the eye regarding Stoppard and Stalker, each dealing with significant baggage, all of which seems logical and not just conveniently supplied by a lazy writer. Rockwell’s weary detachment and the subtle encouragement he gives Stalker speaks to his struggle of getting through the day while maintaining a bit of hope. Ronan brilliantly counters his barely controlled cynicism with a sense of innocence and optimism that, thanks to her fine work, never comes off as cloying or insincere. Seeing these two characters in further adventures would be a genuine treat, not simply due to the chemistry between Rockwell and Ronan but because there are so many possibilities left to explore with Stoppard and Stalker.
Easter eggs and post-modern allusions abound. The meaning of Stalker’s name is obvious while the use of Stoppard for the detective trying to unravel the cliched murder mystery he finds himself in refers to playwright Tom Stoppard who’s made a career out of writing plays and screenplays (“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,” “Shakespeare in Love”) which do the same thing. Attenborough and Sim did star in the original production of “The Mousetrap” and there are numerous other collisions between fact and fiction throughout that are a joy to discover.
Most of the fun derived from the movie is in how self-aware it is. Chappell has his characters speak about narrative structure, genre conventions and tired plot points throughout, so when they occur, it’s no surprise. However, they are ponied out in a mirthful way, acknowledging to the viewer the tongue-in-cheek tone that’s at play. I found myself smiling throughout thanks to the confidence with which this exercise was pulled off but also in the sense of abandon provided by the cast. Light, intriguing, and amusing throughout, “See How They Run” is a pleasant surprise that hopefully won’t be lost in this dreadful autumn movie season.
3 1/2 Stars
Pam says:
“See How They Run” has quite the cast with Adrien Brody, Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, David Oyelowo, and Ruth Wilson which seemingly promises a film you won’t want to miss. And while the story of a murder mystery within a murder mystery humorously plays upon the stereotypical tropes of this genre, “See How They Run” misses the mark after the first act.
The story starts off with a bang, not literally as the murder waits to occur around the 10 minute mark. Brody is our narrator as Leo Kopernick, an obnoxious American director attending the West End play “The Mousetrap” by Agatha Christie. His dry, 1950’s vernacular accentuates the period as he gets us up to speed with what has happened…to him! But like he says, “It’s a whodunnit. You’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all.”
The first act is sharply edited with dialogue reminiscent of a David Mamet play. As the story makes fun of itself and the genre, we learn about the players, those who ultimately become the suspects, and, well, whodunnit.
We learn that the smash hit play is about to become a new Hollywood film as Leo Kopernick saunters through the celebration of the 100th performance, creating havoc as only he could. After his “timely” demise, we meet Inspector Stoppard (Rockwell) and Constable Stalker (Ronan), an unlikely pair set out to solve the murder mystery which parallels in perfect form, “The Mousetrap.” The irony is not lost on the suspects, making this introspection and reflection even more humorous.
Each of the characters have their own hangups and interests making us laugh and requiring us to pay close attention to each and every word, pun, or unnecessarily linguistically complex utterance. The set up is extraordinary, priming us for more laughs, but the pacing of the film and the creativity of it screeches to a halt by the second act. By the third act, it’s been lost and no amount of attention to detail is able to swing the pendulum back to where it began.
The cast has fun with their roles, playing each character with just the right amount of nuance or over-the-top reactions; whichever is needed. Rockwell’s haggard Inspector Stoppard drinks a bit too much, is jaded, and really could care less about solving the murder as he stumbles through it with Constable Stalker eagerly by his side. Ronan, too, has fun with her role as the driven young officer lacking confidence and yearning to learn from her colleague. These characters are the thread that stitches the story together, pulling us along to determine who killed Kopernick.
It’s truly a shame that writer Mark Chappell and director Tom George couldn’t maintain the energy and vibrancy of the first act. Quick wit and sharp edits imitating a Wes Anderson type of film created such potential. “See How They Run” needed a few edits and rewrites for that second act which could have made this film as much of a smash hit as the still-running Agatha Christie West End play “Mousetrap,” now in its 70th year.
2 1/2 Stars
