Seen: July 2008
Format: Broadcast (HDNMV - HDNet Movies)
Rating: 5
At least going to bed was the right decision.
This film is chock-a-block with stars. It's a regular who's who of beautiful people from the period and the previous period. There is some heavy duty talent here as well as pretty faces. They are all simply marvelous in their roles; and I mean that sincerely. In most cases, the quality their performances are the only reasons the characters work at all.
This is a hip film. It's very rooted in the scene that was being laid down in the mid-sixties; baby. If you dig on that vibe, you'll be movin' to the smooth groovin'. Or something. I was two at the time, and while I can appreciate the ambiance, it doesn't make the film for me.
And this seems to be the issue.
Harper relies on star power, pop culture hipness and current Issues. At the time, that probably made a significant and possibly even interesting film. But when that's all that's offered, it won't and doesn't stand the test of time. It may be interesting from an anthropological perspective, but there's little else here.
The plot is standard, twisted, PI gets in over his head material. There are all sorts of weirdos and perverts. There's people who aren't who you think they are, and those who are exactly what they seem. The twists are mostly of two varieties; those you saw coming, and those you can't understand. There were a couple that I found surprising and valid, but for the most part they're either confusing, pointless and exist merely to introduce or further a subplot or they're obvious.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't complete loser. If you're a serious fan of any of the plethora of fine actors here, it may be worth your while to see where they were at this part of their career. If you that's not you, and you're not a hard core PI or sixties film fan, you'll probably want to pass.
The Good: Newman in his prime
The Bad: Derivative tale with uninteresting twists
The Ugly: The games people play
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