The Oxford Murders
3/4
Starring: Elijah Wood, John Hurt, Leonor Watling, Julie Cox, Jim Carter, Burn Gorman
Rated R for Language, Sexual Content/Nudity and Some Violence/Disturbing Images
After viewing "The Oxford Murders," one thing is absolutely clear: this movie is not for everyone. Ostensibly it's a murder mystery, but however it's main thrust is the philosophical and mathematical discussions that are necessary to stop the killer. Those who would not prefer to watch a movie that challenges them intellectually should not bother with this movie.
Martin (Wood) is a young grad student who has come to London to study with the famous mathematician and philosopher Arthur Seldom (Hurt). But Seldom is such a pompous ass that Martin decides to go home rather than be insulted again by this loser. That is until they find his landlady murdered in the home where he is renting a room. Also at the murder site is a mathematical symbol that indicates they are dealing with a serial killer who is using math and logic as tantalizing clues. If they are going to stop the killer, Martin and Arthur will have to work together to solve the riddle before the next victim is chosen. But who is the killer? Could it be Lorna (Watling), Martin's sexy racquetball partner? Or is it Beth (Cox), his landlady's daughter? Or could it be Yuri (Gorman), Martin's fellow student that, had this been made a half century ago, would have been played by Peter Lorre?
Math and logic are not my strong suit. My brain is just not wired that way. But I nevertheless enjoyed the mental sparring between Martin and Arthur. It was occasionally confusing, but I could follow the music of their conversations. Wood and Hurt are quite good here, accomplishing what I thought would be impossible: making math interesting.
Does it spend too much time posing questions about math, philosophy and logic? Perhaps for some people, but not for me. I found their discussions mentally stimulating, and in a way, it reminded me of "Silence," the criminally overlooked Scorcese movie from earlier this year. Both movies used violent storylines to stimulate conversation for the mind, but "The Oxford Murders" isn't as good as "Silence" (not by a longshot), and Alex de la Iglesias is definitely not Martin Scorcese.
One thing I noted is the color desaturation in the film. de la Iglesias leeches out almost all the color from the film's visuals, giving it a cold and oppressive feeling. It's meant to heighten the suspense, and while the camerawork by Kiko de la Rica is solid, doing this is so overdone that it's become irritating. Interestingly enough, I considered watching another thriller called "The Lodger," which had a noir look with deep colors and atmosphere. Directors of thrillers need to get away from this washed out look because it's lost a lot of its effectiveness.
If you're curious about this movie based on what you've read here, go ahead and check it out. I doubt you'll be disappointed. On the other hand, if it doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then it probably isn't.
Starring: Elijah Wood, John Hurt, Leonor Watling, Julie Cox, Jim Carter, Burn Gorman
Rated R for Language, Sexual Content/Nudity and Some Violence/Disturbing Images
After viewing "The Oxford Murders," one thing is absolutely clear: this movie is not for everyone. Ostensibly it's a murder mystery, but however it's main thrust is the philosophical and mathematical discussions that are necessary to stop the killer. Those who would not prefer to watch a movie that challenges them intellectually should not bother with this movie.
Martin (Wood) is a young grad student who has come to London to study with the famous mathematician and philosopher Arthur Seldom (Hurt). But Seldom is such a pompous ass that Martin decides to go home rather than be insulted again by this loser. That is until they find his landlady murdered in the home where he is renting a room. Also at the murder site is a mathematical symbol that indicates they are dealing with a serial killer who is using math and logic as tantalizing clues. If they are going to stop the killer, Martin and Arthur will have to work together to solve the riddle before the next victim is chosen. But who is the killer? Could it be Lorna (Watling), Martin's sexy racquetball partner? Or is it Beth (Cox), his landlady's daughter? Or could it be Yuri (Gorman), Martin's fellow student that, had this been made a half century ago, would have been played by Peter Lorre?
Math and logic are not my strong suit. My brain is just not wired that way. But I nevertheless enjoyed the mental sparring between Martin and Arthur. It was occasionally confusing, but I could follow the music of their conversations. Wood and Hurt are quite good here, accomplishing what I thought would be impossible: making math interesting.
Does it spend too much time posing questions about math, philosophy and logic? Perhaps for some people, but not for me. I found their discussions mentally stimulating, and in a way, it reminded me of "Silence," the criminally overlooked Scorcese movie from earlier this year. Both movies used violent storylines to stimulate conversation for the mind, but "The Oxford Murders" isn't as good as "Silence" (not by a longshot), and Alex de la Iglesias is definitely not Martin Scorcese.
One thing I noted is the color desaturation in the film. de la Iglesias leeches out almost all the color from the film's visuals, giving it a cold and oppressive feeling. It's meant to heighten the suspense, and while the camerawork by Kiko de la Rica is solid, doing this is so overdone that it's become irritating. Interestingly enough, I considered watching another thriller called "The Lodger," which had a noir look with deep colors and atmosphere. Directors of thrillers need to get away from this washed out look because it's lost a lot of its effectiveness.
If you're curious about this movie based on what you've read here, go ahead and check it out. I doubt you'll be disappointed. On the other hand, if it doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then it probably isn't.
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