Where to watch The January Man
2 Stars
Nick and Frank Starkey were both policemen. A scandal forced Nick to leave the force, now a serial killer has driven the police to take him back. A web that includes Frank’s wife, bribery, and corruption all are in the background as Nick tries to uncover the secret of where the killer will strike next, and finally must lay a trap without the police.
The influence of Robert Altman hangs over The January Man, an off-kilter murder mystery with outdated sensibilities that would have better suited 70’s era cinema. It’s easy to imagine The January Man as a 1974 release directed by Altman or Hal Ashby and starring Elliot Gould, Robert Blake, and Samantha Egger. In actuality, the film hit screens in 1989 and stars Kevin Kline, Harvey Kitel, and Susan Sarandon.
I have a premonition that once Moonstruck scribe John Patrick Shanley won the Oscar for his writing on that film, this script was pulled out from a bottom drawer, dust blown off its title page, and rushed into production. The result of this hastiness is a misshapen film with oddball characters exhibiting eccentric behaviors who inhabit a rudimentary ‘who done it?’. Kline’s reinstated cop is irritating, while Alan Rickman’s cranky artist is amusing; the supporting cast is filled out with fine actors, all of whom perform at wildly different frequencies.
Directed by: Pat O’Connor
Written by: John Patrick Shanley
Starring: Kevin Kline, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Susan Sarandon