Sleeping Dogs
Roy Freeman, who is undergoing a cutting-edge Alzheimer’s treatment, is forced to grapple with the impact of an investigation from his former life after a death row inmate that Freeman arrested 10 years prior starts to proclaim his innocence. Intrigued and fighting to regain his memory, Freeman enlists his former partner to help him revive the case and discover the truth. Together, they set off to unravel a tangled web of secrets, forcing Freeman to make some horrific discoveries.
- Released:
- Runtime: 110 minutes
- Genre: Drama, Thrillers
- Stars: Karen Gillan, Thomas M. Wright, Harry Greenwood, Russell Crowe, Marton Csokas, Tommy Flanagan, Elizabeth Blackmore, Lynn Gilmartin, Jane Harber, Ming-Zhu Hii, Lucy-Rose Leonard, Pacharo Mzembe, Simon Maiden, Paula Arundell, Jasper Bagg, Cameron Leonard
- Director: Adam Cooper
Comments
- bloodyjackuk - 23 June 2024
Adverts
Title: sleeping dogs: A Cinematic Experience Marred by Ads"
In an era where streaming services promise uninterrupted viewing pleasure, my recent experience with a particular film-let's call it "The Unseen"-was a stark reminder of the intrusive nature of advertisements. Once a beacon of artistic storytelling, the film was tragically overshadowed by a relentless barrage of ads, transforming what should have been a captivating journey into a frustrating ordeal.
"The Unseen" is a visually stunning piece of cinema that delves into the psychological turmoil of its protagonist, a detective haunted by past failures. Directed by a visionary filmmaker known for meticulous detail and immersive atmospheres, the film had all the elements to be an engaging thriller. The narrative is carefully constructed, with each scene building upon the last, leading to a crescendo of emotional and intellectual payoff. Unfortunately, this careful construction was repeatedly and rudely interrupted by advertisements, shattering the immersive experience the filmmakers intended.
From the outset, the viewing experience was compromised. Within the first ten minutes, just as the story was beginning to unfold, the screen faded to black, replaced by a loud, garish commercial for a new brand of laundry detergent. The tonal whiplash from an intense, atmospheric scene to a mundane, overly cheerful ad was jarring, to say the least. This pattern continued throughout the film, with ads appearing every 10 to 15 minutes, making it nearly impossible to maintain any emotional or narrative investment.
The frequency and placement of these ads felt almost malicious. Critical moments-such as the reveal of a key clue or a poignant character revelation-were cut off mid-sentence, leaving viewers disoriented and annoyed when the story resumed. It was as if the film was being held hostage, forced to accommodate the demands of advertisers at the expense of its own storytelling. The pacing, essential for a thriller, was utterly destroyed. Instead of a tense, edge-of-your-seat experience, the film became a disjointed collection of scenes interspersed with irrelevant and repetitive commercials.
Moreover, the ads themselves were a stark contrast to the film's tone and aesthetic. "The Unseen" employs a muted color palette and a haunting score to create an atmosphere of unease and introspection. The ads, however, were bright, loud, and aggressively upbeat, creating a sensory dissonance that was both distracting and irritating. This constant shift in mood made it impossible to become fully absorbed in the film's world, pulling viewers out of the narrative time and again.
What's particularly frustrating is the knowledge that "The Unseen" could have been an exceptional film. The performances were nuanced, the direction was assured, and the screenplay was intelligently crafted. Yet, these qualities were rendered almost irrelevant by the intrusive advertising. It's a disservice to the filmmakers, who undoubtedly poured their hearts and souls into this project, and to the audience, who sought a meaningful cinematic experience but received a fragmented, commercial-laden product instead.
In conclusion, "The Unseen" is a film that exemplifies the worst-case scenario of ad-supported viewing. It stands as a cautionary tale for both content creators and consumers, highlighting the detrimental impact that poorly managed advertising can have on the art of storytelling. For a film that promised so much, the ultimate takeaway is one of frustration and disappointment-a potentially great cinematic experience, utterly ruined by an onslaught of adverts. - damir-ulovec - 18 May 2024
Already seen long time ago under similar plot
Personal impression is that Sleeping Dogs is a very similar story that was covered under the title The Fourth Man (2007). This film by director Dejan Zecevic tells the story of a man who wakes up from a two-month coma with complete amnesia and sets out to discover the truth about his monstrous identity.
The movie Sleeping Dogs isn't bad, but on my part it was "already seen" and I pretty much knew what was going to happen. Still, I was curious to watch and see what would happen. Turns out I could have spent my time doing something more useful. My rating is mix of good story, but not so good acting. - The-Last-Prydonian - 28 April 2024
A contemporary neo-noir thriller that Isn't as clever as it thinks it is
Suffering from memory loss following a car accident, Roy Freeman is a former police detective who follows up on an old murder case he investigated. Believing there is a possibility that he and his ex-partner had the wrong man convicted, and is facing the death penalty. It's not made easy by the fact that he can't remember the case. As he tries to piece together evidence as to what truly happened he finds himself uncovering dark and disturbing secrets about his past. Is it sometimes better to let sleeping dogs lie?
It wouldn't be less than generous to say that this noirish thriller from Adam Cooper, who cuts his teeth here with his directorial debut, covers old familiar ground. There's most definitely a whiff of the mind-bending thrillers Memento and The Number 23. Relying on many of the common tropes, we have Russell Crowe's damaged protagonist attempting to dig into his past, and the murder of Marton Csoka's sleazy college professor. It's all here, sex, greed replete with a relatively brief voice-over from one of the dead supporting characters, as he reads through a book he had written, where he chronicles events that led to the professor's death. It's as if Cooper is ticking off as many boxes as he can.
Technically Cooper is very proficient in terms of the direction, and pacing it never feels lethargic. Although in terms of the stakes, It's difficult to truly become emotionally invested in Pacharo Mzembe's Issac Samuel who is facing execution as he is given very little screen time, making it hard to sympathize with him and his predicament. The plot also has an air of predictability about it, and given the movie's title, you pretty much know from the start that Crowe's retired detective is going to get more than he bargained for. It's nowhere near as clever as it attempts to be, with a final twist in its denouement that fails to deliver the sort of sucker punch that Cooper was undoubtedly aiming for. While it raises more questions than it awnsers due to an all too gaping plot hole.
Crowe as ever gives it his all and is a magnetic presence, managing to elevate proceedings, and it does help that he's abetted by a strong supporting cast which besides Marton Csokas includes Tommy Flannagan and Harry Greenwood. This is more than can be said for Karen Gillen, who fails to completely convince, as the femme fatale of the piece.
The movie eventually proceeds to unravel in its final act, with Cooper's attempt to gradually wrap up the movie's plot feeling awkward and clumsy. Leading to its underwhelming climax. Sleeping Dogs is by no means the worst movie of Crowe's career, but still, needless to say, It's not one of his best either, and wouldn't be deserving of being mentioned in the same sentence as his better work which includes LA Confidential or A Beautiful Mind. It's an attempt at a contemporary neo-noir, from a writer and director whose lofty ambitions exceed his mediocre talent, and doesn't quite deliver on what it promises.
