Reptile (B or 3/4 stars)
The great Benicio Del Toro is superb as a world-weary, hardboiled detective in Grant Singer's pitch dark crime drama, 'Reptile'. Written by Singer, Del Toro & Benjamin Brewer, this murder mystery packs in some complicated twists & revelatory turns throughout its gloomy, languorous run time. The film isn't perfect, but it kept me guessing til the end and, it's worth watching for Del Toro alone. Following the brutal murder of realtor, Summer Elswick (Matilda Lutz), detective Tom Nichols (Del Toro) is assigned to the case. He is immediately suspicious of Summer's business partner/boyfriend, Will Grady (an enigmatic Justin Timberlake), who discovered the body in the house she was showing alone.
Despite Tom's hunch about Will, he does have a strong alibi. Tom & his beautiful wife, Judy (Alicia Silverstone), have recently moved to this small New England town, where Tom was given a 2nd chance by Judy's Uncle Wally (Domenick Lombardozzi). It's imperative that he solves this murder case while also fitting in with the team at work, including his junior partner, Dan Cleary (Ato Essandoh), his boss, Capt. Robert Allen (Eric Bogosian) & others in the unit. Other than Will, Tom & Dan have a few other suspects to consider: Summer's ex, Sam Gifford (Karl Glusman); a creep named Eli Phillips (Michael Pitt), who has a grudge against Will's real estate company; even Frances Fisher, as Will's sly mother, instills doubt. As the 2 detectives dig-in, they soon find that things aren't quite what they seem. As clues to the crime unfold, a web of murky lies, deception & money laundering draw Tom in and, mortal danger may come in the form of people closer to him than he thinks.
I love this film's use of discordant music & creepy scenarios. What did this beautiful murder victim do, or know, that led to her getting murdered {and so violently}? She was cheating on Will - does that have something to do with it? Or maybe not, at all. Perhaps something more sinister was afoot. Something illegal? Each character seems to be hiding something from their past, or maybe even in the present. The script keeps us guessing all the way through. Problem is, when a movie is nearly 135 min. in length, that's alottttt of guessing and, along with the fabulous dreary moodiness {which I LOVE}, there needed to be more narrative 'punch' going on to break-up the somber, but beguiling & mysterious aura of the unsettling proceedings.
Words can't express how much of a great actor I think Benicio Del Toro is. Any suspense in this film is sustained throughout because of Del Toro's insistent integrity in trying to solve this crime. Del Toro carries the sometimes convoluted, derivative thriller elements into making me recommend this film; whereas, I may not have recommended it with a different actor at the helm. With his grizzled, hangdog visage & sad, piercing eyes, he mesmerized me with the authenticity of what he was doing. If, at all, you question plot points, you won't question Del Toro's choices which make his character, Tom, as believable as he is. As mentioned above, the movie is worth watching for him alone. He also exhibits easy, natural chemistry with Alicia Silverstone.
Silverstone is excellent, herself; giving us a loving wife who may, or may not, be as loyal to her husband as we think. In one notable scene, Tom rushes home late at night to find Judy standing over an intruder in their back yard ... holding a gun on him. The entire scene is odd, tense, plausible, & Tom is able to defuse the tension of the moment with real deftness. Again, Del Toro just rules. I also must commend Michael Gioulakis' enticingly dreary cinematography; where the visuals onscreen mirror the grim vibe of the film. 'Reptile' is all about trust - can you REALLY put faith in anyone in your life? Though it lacks oomph as a 'thriller', this intelligent, better-than-decent mid-budget crime drama is exactly the type that we don't get enough of.
Despite Tom's hunch about Will, he does have a strong alibi. Tom & his beautiful wife, Judy (Alicia Silverstone), have recently moved to this small New England town, where Tom was given a 2nd chance by Judy's Uncle Wally (Domenick Lombardozzi). It's imperative that he solves this murder case while also fitting in with the team at work, including his junior partner, Dan Cleary (Ato Essandoh), his boss, Capt. Robert Allen (Eric Bogosian) & others in the unit. Other than Will, Tom & Dan have a few other suspects to consider: Summer's ex, Sam Gifford (Karl Glusman); a creep named Eli Phillips (Michael Pitt), who has a grudge against Will's real estate company; even Frances Fisher, as Will's sly mother, instills doubt. As the 2 detectives dig-in, they soon find that things aren't quite what they seem. As clues to the crime unfold, a web of murky lies, deception & money laundering draw Tom in and, mortal danger may come in the form of people closer to him than he thinks.
I love this film's use of discordant music & creepy scenarios. What did this beautiful murder victim do, or know, that led to her getting murdered {and so violently}? She was cheating on Will - does that have something to do with it? Or maybe not, at all. Perhaps something more sinister was afoot. Something illegal? Each character seems to be hiding something from their past, or maybe even in the present. The script keeps us guessing all the way through. Problem is, when a movie is nearly 135 min. in length, that's alottttt of guessing and, along with the fabulous dreary moodiness {which I LOVE}, there needed to be more narrative 'punch' going on to break-up the somber, but beguiling & mysterious aura of the unsettling proceedings.
Words can't express how much of a great actor I think Benicio Del Toro is. Any suspense in this film is sustained throughout because of Del Toro's insistent integrity in trying to solve this crime. Del Toro carries the sometimes convoluted, derivative thriller elements into making me recommend this film; whereas, I may not have recommended it with a different actor at the helm. With his grizzled, hangdog visage & sad, piercing eyes, he mesmerized me with the authenticity of what he was doing. If, at all, you question plot points, you won't question Del Toro's choices which make his character, Tom, as believable as he is. As mentioned above, the movie is worth watching for him alone. He also exhibits easy, natural chemistry with Alicia Silverstone.
Silverstone is excellent, herself; giving us a loving wife who may, or may not, be as loyal to her husband as we think. In one notable scene, Tom rushes home late at night to find Judy standing over an intruder in their back yard ... holding a gun on him. The entire scene is odd, tense, plausible, & Tom is able to defuse the tension of the moment with real deftness. Again, Del Toro just rules. I also must commend Michael Gioulakis' enticingly dreary cinematography; where the visuals onscreen mirror the grim vibe of the film. 'Reptile' is all about trust - can you REALLY put faith in anyone in your life? Though it lacks oomph as a 'thriller', this intelligent, better-than-decent mid-budget crime drama is exactly the type that we don't get enough of.