I’m sure most filmmakers would love to adapt an Elmore Leonard book. Previous films based on Leonard’s fiction include 3:10 to Yuma, Get Shorty, Out of Sight, and, perhaps most famously, Quentin Tarantino‘s Jackie Brown, so one can’t fault the marketers from putting “Based on the novel by Elmore Leonard” prominently on the DVD case of Freaky Deaky, the adaptation of his 1988 novel. However, as is the case with any great writer whose had a few dozen films adapted from his work, there are going to be a few duds. While I doubt Freaky Deaky is the worst film adapted from a Leonard novel, it won’t be recognized as one of the better ones.
Set in 1973, Freak Deaky follows Chris Mankowski (Billy Burke), a police sergeant who transfers from the bomb squad to the sex crimes division who soon finds himself wrapped up in a case with the beautiful actress Greta (Sabina Gadecki), who accuses the drunken millionaire Woody Ricks (Crispin Glover) of raping her. While investigating the case, Mankowski discovers a plot to swindle Ricks out of his vast fortune involving Ricks’ brother Mark (Andy Dick) and the dynamite-wielding criminals Robin (Breanne Racano) and Skip (Christian Slater). Mankowski also crosses paths with Ricks’ chauffeur Donnell (Michael Jai White), whose role in the swindle — if any — isn’t immediately clear. Mankowski soon realizes the difficulties of juggling his interactions with these eccentric characters, especially when Ricks’ clout gets him suspended from the force.
Producer/writer/director Charles Matthau (son of actor Walter Matthau) has directed a handful of films since 1988, none of which were particularly noteworthy or successful. Freaky Deaky isn’t going to be the movie that will finally make him a name. It seems like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to make the movie Tarantino-style or low-budget crime thriller style, or some combination of the two. What results is a movie that’s wildly inconsistent and nowhere near as entertaining as it should be considering that there are some really good actors in the cast, like Glover, White, and Slater.
I hate to single out an inexperienced actress for the blame, but Roacano, who plays Robin, is awful. She never quite handles her breathy attempts at a seductive voice, and considering she has lengthy dialogue sequences in the film this is a major problem. What makes it worse is that she is paired for much of the film with Slater, who is clearly having a lot of fun in his over-the-top role. They mix like oil and water, and while Racano might have been wonderful in a smaller role she’s out of her depth as the villainess.
However, other actors also don’t live up to their potential. Glover is among the most uniquely talented actors alive, but his character spends the entirety of the film either drunk or stoned so he does little more than ramble incoherently — something that doesn’t utilize Glover’s abilities. Similarly, Burke is a poor choice for a leading man — best known for playing Bella’s father in the Twilight movies, he’s no match for White or Slater in their numerous interactions. These poor casting choices definitely didn’t engage me as a viewer and I found the plot — possibly the most needlessly convoluted extortion plot in the history of crime fiction — that much harder to follow because of that. I am sure the story might read better as a book, because the film just didn’t draw me in. It’s clear that Mattheau is expecting that the audience will find the movie fun, but it just isn’t.
The Disc
Along with the film’s trailer, there is a “Making of” feature. However, that title is really a misnomer because the four-and-a-half minute feature almost entirely consists of some of the cast (including Racano and White) and some of the crew (including Mattheau) talking first about how great Elmore Leonard’s writing is and then how great Mattheau’s script is. There is nothing else about actually making the movie. So, if you like to watch those kind of features that consist of people patting each other on the back this is for you!
Movie Rating: Like a kiddie carnival ride, Freaky Deaky tries to convince you its more fun than it really is (5/10).
Disc Rating: You won’t find much here to tell you about how the film was made (2.5/10).
Freaky Deaky will be released on DVD on February 26.
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