The Watcher (2000) 1 star out of 4. Starring Keanu Reeves, James Spader, Marisa Tomei, Ernie Hudson and Chris Ellis. Story by Darcy Meyers and David Elliot. Screenplay by Elliot and Clay Ayers. Music by Marco Beltrami. Directed by Joe Charbanic. Rated R.
"The Watcher" is a cliche-ridden B-movie with the only discernible distinction being the casting of Keanu Reeves as a serial killer.
Of course, Reeves' psychopath performs just like every other Reeves character - blank expression, monotone line delivery.
"The Watcher" has that made-for-TV look with a lot of fancy camera work, scenes jumping from negative to positive, many quick cuts and an obnoxious, pulsating score.
It's hard to imagine what lured Reeves to this underwhelming project - unless it was the prospect of tarnishing his post-"Matrix" heroic image.
The movie is totally preposterous in its premise of a serial killer changing his locale just so he can hook up again with the FBI agent (James Spader) who was chasing him in California.
There is a homoerotic subtext to the relationship between Reeves' David Allen Griffin and Spader's pill-popping, migraine-suffering Joel Campbell.
Think about it. If you were a serial killer, would you go from the sunny climes of the West Coast to the cold Midwest of Chicago merely to be near the law enforcement officer who knows more about you than anyone else? That's the type of illogical premise that permeates "The Watcher."
Spader looks terrible, hollow-eyed and sleep-deprived as Campbell. This is how his character is supposed to appear, and it's a wonder how he can be so perceptive in such a state.
"The Watcher" is only about 90 minutes long and even that is a stretch. Director Joe Charbanic puffs it up with lots of padding - overhead city shots, that time-compacting shot of speeding headlights zooming by (you know the one) and one-frame jerky shots to turn a simple cops-and-psycho movie into a pretentious work of art.
"The Watcher" provides a subversive, guilty-pleasure thrill despite being predictable and totally hokey. It's interesting watching Reeves. At any minute you expect him to burst out laughing and say, `Hey, dude, I'm not really a killer, I'm only screwin' with ya.' That may have made "The Watcher" a bit more watchable, but I doubt it.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com or at bobbloom@iquest.net Reviews by Bloom can be found posted on the Internet Movie Database at: http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom
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